Whatever Else Happens
by Sharona1981
Summary: The proper sequel to my fic, 'Don't Believe A Word'. Sharona and Sheamus are now a couple, but as Alberto del Rio pulls out all the stops to relieve Sheamus of his World Heavyweight Championship, their fledgling relationship is tested. Rated for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**Whatever Else Happens **

_**Note: The proper sequel to 'Don't Believe A Word'. This story begins the week del Rio and Ricardo Rodriguez attack Sheamus and slam his head in the bonnet of del Rio's car. Sharona's entrance music is 'U Don't Know Me' by Basement Jaxx. The title of my fic is the title of a song by one of my favourite Irish singer-songwriters, Declan O' Rourke. Shar and Shay are officially a couple by now. :) By the by-there's no Divas Championship in my WWE 'verse. I hate that belt, so the Women's Title stays. I know the TL is a little off, but hey, I plead artistic license. *ahem* **_

**Chapter 1 **

Sheamus was aware of that old saying, 'Behind every great man, is a great woman.' However, he didn't believe for one second that his girlfriend was content to stand behind _anyone_-even him. No, Shar was very much her own woman; while she was incredibly supportive of him in every way, she was also busy concentrating on her own career, on regaining the Women's Championship she hadn't held in almost two years. But there was one thing they both agreed on:

Alberto del Rio was a _royal_ pain in the ass.

'I dunno how the fans don't start throwin' rotten tomatoes at him, or somethin'.' Sheamus said to Shar one night; they were in his locker-room backstage, after a live event, Shar perched on his lap, arms around his neck.

It had surprised her, if she was honest, how intimate they had become so quickly; after all, they'd only been seeing each other a little over a month. They hadn't slept together yet or anything, but they'd come pretty close a couple of times.

The more time she spent with Shay-as she'd nicknamed him-the more she wondered if what she'd felt for Kane had been as intense as she'd always believed. Her relationship with Kane hadn't always been easy, because of his past, but even at its best, it had never felt this..._natural_. Shay was fun to be around, kind, considerate. Not to mention sexy.

She was still wondering what the catch was.

'All this shite about how he's better than everyone else.' Sheamus went on, pulling her closer. 'Just because he's got money.'

'That's _all_ he's got, babe.' Sharona replied. 'He's living proof that money can't buy you class. He's a douchebag, simple as. You are _so_ much better than him, in every way. And you got the World Heavyweight Championship to prove it.'

'Not to mention the girl.' Sheamus quipped, then kissing her quickly, he added, 'Ah, I'm not worried 'bout Bertie, darlin'. Fellas like him, they talk out of their arse, but can't back it up.'

**SmackDown, July 10**

Sharona had travelled with Sheamus to SmackDown for his match against del Rio-not to be at ringside, because she never did that; Shay didn't need her down there-but because she wanted to be waiting to congratulate her boyfriend after he beat seven shades of crap out of that Mexican asshat.

Pity it didn't _quite_ work out that way.

She was watching on the monitor as del Rio drove down the entrance ramp in one of his many expensive cars, and she gritted her teeth. Everything about that man bugged her, particularly the way he flaunted his wealth like it made him superior or something.

She hadn't been as dirt poor as some of the people in her neighborhood, true, but neither had she been well-off, financially. It sickened her that this douche felt the need to constantly remind everyone how rich he was, and how everyone else was a 'peasant'.

Then her heartbeat quickened as Shay's music hit and he appeared on the ramp, smiling confidently. Beating his chest and shouting at the top of his lungs, as he always did, the fans in attendance gave him a massive ovation as he walked to the ring, and Sharona smiled.

The man he was facing was his polar opposite-Shay, like her, had had it pretty rough as a kid, and certainly had not come from money. But he was immensely proud of his heritage, of the man he'd become. And so he should be.

Because she was proud of him, too.

_'Excuse me_!' Shar rolled her eyes at the unmistakable voice of Vickie Guerrero behind her, and she slowly turned to see her standing there, along with her current 'boytoy', Dolph Ziggler.

'I can't imagine _anyone_ excusing you, Vickie.' She sighed. 'What do you want?'

'You know, it's pretty obvious that you don't really care about Sheamus, Sharona.' The 'Cougar' scoffed. 'I mean, if you did, you'd be out there with him, supporting him.'

Sharona started to laugh, then got right up in Vickie's face before she could react.

'Y'see, that's the difference between you and me, Vick.' She replied. 'I'm Shay's _girlfriend_-not his _cheerleader_. I don't _need_ to go out there and talk him up, like you have to do with this Village People reject right here!' She gestured to an indignant Ziggler. 'In case you'd both forgotten, Sheamus was the World Heavyweight Champion before we _ever_ got together-his achievements speak for themselves. He doesn't fail every single time he goes out there-_un_like you two.'

With a sneer, Shar tried to turn her attention back to the monitor, but Ziggler interjected, 'Sharona, you seriously need to take a _long_ look at the guy you're dating. I mean, I thought Kane proved you had awful taste, but _Sheamus_? Every time I see that guy, I feel like taking a fire extinguisher to his hair!'

He and Vickie sniggered at their little joke, but their amused looks vanished fairly quickly when Sharona rounded on them, eyes flashing. She'd heard enough. Shay had been teased enough about his red hair as a child-she wasn't about to let this idiot do it now.

Pointing to Ziggler's bleach blond 'do, she countered, voice low, but anger obvious, 'And what colour do you call that, _Ziggy_? _Radioactive_?'

Before he could respond, she grabbed him by his neon pink t-shirt and growled, 'You _ever_ talk about Shay like that again, and I will _feed_ you this hideous shirt. Get it?'

She pushed him away roughly, and he and Vickie beat a hasty and nervous retreat, and Sharona once again turned her attention to the monitor-and let out a cry of horror.

Del Rio and Rodriguez had ganged up on Shay, and while her boyfriend was trying to fight back, but the fact he was outnumbered soon turned the tide in favour of del Rio and his personal ring announcer.

She was frozen, for several moments, but when del Rio and Rodriguez dragged him over to the aristocrat's car and started to slam the hood down on his head repeatedly, she quickly found her feet and rushed out.

Sheamus, meanwhile, was in serious fear of a concussion. He should have known that slimeball del Rio wouldn't fight fair; that Rodriguez would have to get involved.

The first time the hood hit the back of his head, he saw stars, grunting as pain crashed through his skull. But del Rio wouldn't stop, smashing it down on his head again and again, and then, just before unconsciousness claimed him, he heard:

_'You think you know me, know what I do, _

_But all you think about is what it all means to you. _

_I've got so much, so much to give; _

_All you gotta do is be ready, ready to live. _

_You think you know a lot about my kinda woman, _

_But you don't know nothing 'bout me..._'

Sharona stormed out on the ramp, shoving Rodriguez clean off his feet and into a crumpled heap. Del Rio left off his vicious assault and when she saw Shay slump to the ground, bleeding and inert, she saw red.

Flying at del Rio, she pounded on him with her fists, while the freaked-out Mexican tried to escape her attack, shouting in Spanish. Finally, he managed to shake her off, and grabbing Rodriguez, they quickly fled the scene.

Dropping to her knees beside her fallen boyfriend, she gingerly turned his head towards her, flinching when she saw the blood oozing from his hairline. His eyes were closed, and he was obviously out cold.

'Help!' She shouted. 'We need _help_ down here! _Now_!'

As a distraught Sharona looked on, several medics arrived and began to examine Shay. But already, revenge was first and foremost in her mind, as she was sure it would be in Shay's, when he came to.

Del Rio and his personal ass-kisser were going to _pay _for this...

**Next: Sheamus comes 'round, but later, he and Sharona are put in an uncomfortable position. Also, the couple begin to plot revenge. There will be smut coming up, either in the next chapter or the one after-just giving you all a bit of forewarning! :) And another warning-as this story progresses, there may be aspects that piss some people off. Just remember-things aren't always as they seem... Thanks everyone! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

**I know, I'm getting ahead of myself with this chapter and what happens, but I need to get it as up to date as I can. Also, this'll be the last chapter for a bit-I'll be going on hiatus for a while as I'm moving house and I'm going to be pretty busy for the foreseeable future. Thanks to you all for your kind reviews, and thanks in advance for your patience. **

'Who knows, baby, what makes a love begin

Between a woman and a man?

Could be made to be, maybe you'll make it be-

It's not something I understand...'

-Declan O' Rourke, 'Whatever Else Happens'

Sheamus groaned softly, and when his eyelids finally fluttered open, the first thing he saw was the concerned face of his girlfriend, staring down at him. He lifted a hand to his head, frowning when his fingers brushed against the painful lump at his hairline. For a moment, he couldn't remember what had happened, and then, it came flooding back:

Bertie and Rodriguez. Those _arseholes_.

Sharona saw Sheamus' expression harden, and as he tried to sit up, she held out her hands in an attempt to restrain him. The medics had stretchered him back to his locker-room and cleaned and iced his head wound. Thankfully, there was no evidence of a concussion, but she still didn't want her boyfriend overexerting himself.

_Especially_ not because of two slimy sons of bitches who didn't seem to be able to grasp the concept of a 'fair fight'.

'Shay, come on.' She tried to coax him to sit back down. 'You need to relax, okay? You're in no shape to go chasing after those idiots.' Truthfully, she was furious as well, but the time for revenge would come, and it wasn't now. Not when Shay had been hurt.

Reluctantly, Sheamus sat, wincing at the pain in his head, then remembered something else. 'Ya came out there.' He said, his voice a little sharper than he'd meant. 'When I was gettin' beaten up by those gobshites. Did they hurt ya?'

Del Rio and Rodriguez hurting _him_ was one thing-and he'd make sure they paid dearly for that-but if they had so much as laid a _finger_ on Shar, they were going to be sorry they'd been born.

He was just thinking of how much Shar would not approve of such thoughts, when she replied, 'Shay, I've told you I can look after myself. You don't have to worry. But no, they didn't hurt me.'

Shay smiled, and Sharona felt her heart pound, its beat picking up pace and again, she marveled at how quickly she had fallen for this man. But it was all due to his unique charm-Shay had a way about him that made her feel utterly comfortable with him. He made her feel safe and protected without ever saying anything or trying to-_not _that she needed protecting. And yet, he also made her feel like a flustered teenager in her first relationship whenever he smiled at her.

But then, in a lot of ways, this _was_ her first relationship. Yes, they'd only been seeing each other a matter of weeks, but this was nothing like her aborted relationship with Kane-if she could even call that a relationship now. For the first time, she felt she was on an equal footing with the man in her life. Shay was still a little self-conscious about his looks, but that was down to the bullying he'd endured as a kid, and already, he seemed to be improving on that score. She certainly never made any secret of how attractive she found him-and Shay finally seemed to be accepting that.

If the man wasn't careful, she could very easily fall in love with him.

'You're goin' ta have to stop rescuin' me, lass.' He was saying, grinning now. 'I've got me macho reputation to maintain, y'know.'

Sharona rolled her eyes at his joke, but couldn't help returning the grin he offered her. 'Oh, trust me,' she replied. 'Your rep is well and truly maintained. You don't need me, I know that.'

Her heart skipped at least three beats, when his expression softened, and he retorted quietly, 'Oh, I wouldn't say that, Shar. I need ya more than ya know.'

There was a charged moment between them, and then Sheamus reached out to pull his girlfriend into his arms. Embracing her, he told her, 'Y'know, I'm goin' ta have to pay 'em back for this, darlin'. If they won't fight fair, then neither will _I_.' …

**RAW, approximately 2 weeks later:**

Del Rio and Rodriguez had conveniently made themselves scarce over the past couple of weeks, to nobody's surprise. Sheamus was essentially a nice guy, but his temper was now well-documented. He wasn't the kind of guy anyone wished to cross.

But Sharona had no idea of what exactly her boyfriend was planning, as a means of getting retribution.

She had expected Shay to want to beat _'seven bells of shite'_-she was getting used to his vocabulary by now-out of del Rio and Rodriguez. She most certainly did _not_ expect what he actually _did_.

Caught in traffic, Shar arrived at the arena quite late, but she wasn't due to wrestle, anyway, so it didn't matter. The only thing that pissed her off was that del Rio had been ordered to appear on tonight's RAW _and _wrestle Christian, who had recently become a fan favourite again, or face a substantial fine. Not that Moneybags couldn't afford it, but if he did show up, she was sure Shay would take action, and she hated thinking she'd missed anything.

When circumstances permitted, they travelled to the arenas together, but not tonight-Shar and Layla had gone shopping earlier, and she'd told her boyfriend she'd meet him at the building. But Layla had some sort of mysterious meeting, so Shar had to make it to the arena on her own.

One migraine-inducing traffic jam later, she was finally here.

Sharona and Layla had become fast friends after the night she'd asked the English Diva for a top to borrow for her first date with Shay; Layla, to her slight surprise, was both funny and very sweet, attributes Shar wouldn't have considered crediting her with, since the days of her association with Michelle McCool. But Layla, to be fair, seemed genuinely remorseful of her actions back then, had even acknowledged that Michelle had used her for her own gain.

Shar was so lost in her own thoughts that she nearly walked into the two men before she saw them, and frowned at the surprising sight in front of her.

She was pretty sure that Phil didn't hang out with Randy Orton. And yet, there the two of them were, talking excitedly.

Phil saw her first, and her best friend waved her over, grinning. 'Oh, boy, did you miss it! He's really gone and done it now, Shar.' There was obviously something going on that he wholeheartedly approved of. 'After tonight, I've got more respect for Sheamo than I ever thought I would.'

Sharona's gaze flickered over to Randy; the Missouri native was trying gamely to keep a straight face. Finally, he spluttered, laughing heartily. 'Seriously, Shar, you should have _seen _del Retard's face.' He chuckled. 'It was _priceless_.'

'Okay, do either one of you comedians wanna tell me what the _Hell _you're talking about?' Shar was fast running out of patience; hands on her hips, she had the firm stance of someone who wasn't messing around.

Phil and Randy exchanged a look, and finally Phil told her, 'Well, del Rio was wrestling Christian, and after he beat him, Sheamo turned up on the Titantron. After reminding our favourite neighbourhood slimebag of how he'd called him a peasant, he-well, he...'

Phil started to laugh again, and when Shar smacked his arm to hurry him along, Randy finished: 'He took del Rio's Ferrari. Drove it right out of the building. Told him he felt classier already.'

Sharona initially wasn't entirely sure she'd heard them right; she then felt her jaw drop as the enormity of what the guys were saying sank in:

Instead of physically attacking Del Rio, Shay had committed grand theft auto.

Her crazy Irish boyfriend had stolen his _car_.

**Next: A joyride ignites feelings that can't be ignored. The next chapter will take a while, but I hope you'll stay tuned. Punk hasn't turned heel in my story by the way-I may turn him later, but I'm not sure. Thanks everyone! Ellen**.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

**Okay, so I should be packing, but when inspiration hits I can't help it, lol. This chapter contains smut, so if you don't want to read about Sheamus having sex, step away now. Abort, retreat, etc. Otherwise, enjoy. :)**

_'Get you where you wanna go, if you know what I mean, _

_Got a ride that's smoother than a limousine. _

_Can you handle the curves, can you run all the lights? _

_If you can, baby boy, then we can go all night, _

_'Cause it's zero to sixty in three-point-five; _

_Baby, you got the keys-now shut up and drive!' _

_**-Rihanna-'Shut Up And Drive' **_

Sharona ran out into the parking lot, rooting in her pocket for her cell phone as she did so. Her mind was racing; she couldn't believe Shay had actually _stolen_ del Rio's car. She knew her boyfriend had sworn revenge, but she didn't think he'd do _this_.

She tried calling him, but his phone rang and rang without him answering, and eventually went on to his voicemail. She hung up without leaving a message, unsure of whether to be angry or amused.

She looked around the lot, but thought it was utterly pointless; only God knew where Shay was by now. She just hoped he wouldn't go too far, and that he wouldn't get in trouble.

Just as Sharona was thinking this, a car suddenly turned into the lot, its headlights on full, so she couldn't make out the driver or even the kind of car it was, until it pulled up alongside her.

Shay sat in the driver's seat of del Rio's sleek black Ferrari, grinning out at her like a ginger Cheshire cat. She glowered at him, determined not to let him off the hook just yet.

'What the Hell are you _doing_, you nutjob?' She exclaimed. 'I don't like that son of a bitch any more than you do, but you can't just steal his _car_!'

Unfazed, Sheamus chuckled. 'Ah now, Shar, to be fair, I did _tell_ Bertie I was takin' his car for a little spin.' He retorted. 'And I promised him I'd bring it back. And I will. So, really, it doesn't count as actual _stealin_', love.'

Before Sharona could respond, Sheamus leaned over and opened the passenger door, still grinning at her. 'Yer chariot awaits, madam.' He joked.

'Are you _insane_?' She spluttered incredulously. 'There is no _way_ I'm getting in there with you!'

Then, all at once, his expression softened, and he gave her _that_ smile, that sweet, cajoling smile that turned her heart upside-down.

'Come on.' He urged gently. 'Ya know ya want to.'

Sharona shook her head, then started to laugh helplessly. This whole situation was crazy, but how the hell could she refuse him when he looked at her that way?

'What the Hell am I gonna do with you?' She chided softly, and then her heart stopped when his expression changed again; this time, he looked serious, but his eyes held a depth of emotion that almost frightened her.

'Ya can do whatever ya like with me, darlin'.' Was his quiet reply.

And it was at that exact moment, however brief their relationship had been so far, that Sharona realized she loved this man.

But knowing it was far too soon to declare those kind of feelings, she instead ceded defeat and climbed into the car, unable to suppress a whoop of delight as they sped away.

They drove around for ages, Shay taking great care in making sure that del Rio's car got as messed up as possible. He drove into muddy puddles, scratched the paintwork, and when he bought tacos for himself and Sharona, he let some of the gooey mess fall onto the floor of the car, grinning wickedly at his girlfriend as he did so.

Honestly, he hadn't set out to steal Bertie's car, but when he'd seen it parked just inside the building, the temptation was too great. He'd listened to him gloat about how he was so much better than everyone else, about how Sheamus himself was a mere peasant.

So why not hit him where it hurt?

As World Heavyweight Champion, Sheamus was one of the best-paid wrestlers in the company, and could actually afford a Ferrari just like del Rio's, but he didn't want one. He wasn't, nor would he ever be, a flash git; he wasn't interested in fancy motors or flashing the cash like Bertie. He preferred the simple life.

Not that driving this beauty around wasn't a thrill.

Except the 'beauty' he was thinking of, wasn't the car; it was the gorgeous woman sitting next to him.

The woman he was already falling in love with.

Sharona, meanwhile, was in her own private hell. Much as she was enjoying this, however wrong she believed it was, she'd never realized that joyriding could be such a powerful aphrodisiac. She had never, in all her life, felt such incredible, inexorable, all-encompassing lust for any man. Not Kane, not anyone. She kept looking at Shay out of the corner of her eye, and struggling against the urge to jump his bones, while her boyfriend drove on, seemingly blissfully oblivious.

She'd already acknowledged that she was in love with Shay-but what she was feeling right now was far more dangerous. This had nothing to do with emotion-this was purely about sex. And she wasn't sure she could control her own desire.

She knew Shay was a gentleman; she trusted him. She just didn't trust _herself_.

It wasn't until Sheamus brought the car back, dirty and scratched and belching smoke, and turned to her, that he saw the gleam of lust in her eyes and felt his body respond in kind. They hadn't gone any further than kissing and petting thus far, but he suddenly had a feeling that, after tonight, that would no longer be true. She hadn't so much as touched him, and he could already feel need tensing his muscles, the blood flowing perilously south. He suddenly wanted to throw Shar into the back seat of the car and have his wicked way with her.

He'd never, ever reacted like this, had always been careful to treat the few girls he had been intimate with, with the greatest respect. But she was so beautiful, and slowly undressing him with those amazing brown eyes, and Jesus, he was aroused just thinking about this.

Opening the driver's door, Shay practically flung himself out of the car; his legs were actually shaking, and he could barely stand. Sharona seemed to be in a similar state; her breathing was heavy, body trembling slightly. Wordlessly, she looked over at him, and almost imperceptibly, he nodded.

Grabbing her hand, abandoning del Rio's car, he marched her down the hallway, not stopping until they got to his locker-room.

As soon as they got inside, Sharona was slammed roughly against the door, as Sheamus, all gentlemanly intentions forgotten, kissed her hungrily, desperately, hand fumbling with the lock on the door even as he did so. Once it was secure, he put his hands on her hips, molding her body against his, the kiss growing more and more passionate.

Shar felt his tongue dovetail its way into her mouth, and heard his soft groan as his state of arousal became increasingly more apparent. Their tongues touched, and then, she pulled his shirt up a little to trace her fingers along his abdomen.

Abruptly, Sheamus pulled away and stood back slightly. He was barely recognizable, pale blue eyes cloudy with desire, face flushed, gasping for breath. Without saying a word, he turned and stumbled over to a gym bag lying on a nearby bench. He rifled through it for a moment, then Shar watched as he retrieved a condom.

He held it out, actually looking slightly embarrassed, as well as aroused, as a warning, or even as a deterrent, perhaps. 'Darlin', if ya want me to stop,' he said breathlessly. 'Yer goin' ta have ta say it now.'

But Shar knew that wasn't happening. Walking over on legs that were quite unsteady, she took the condom from him and laid it down. 'I don't.' She whispered. 'I don't want you to ever stop.'

Sheamus muttered something unintelligible, and then wrapped his arms around her, kissing her like she was water and he was a man dying of thirst. Pale fingers inched up inside her t-shirt, stroking warm skin, and Shar extricated her lips from his and took a step back and, all inhibitions fading fast, pulled her shirt up over her head, tossing it heedlessly across the room.

If Sheamus had been aroused before, he was even more so now. His wide eyes took in her bare midriff, the swell of her breasts in her blue lacy bra, her gorgeous skin.

This was a dream, it had to be. This beautiful girl was _not_ taking her clothes off in front of him. The crotch of his jeans was getting painfully tight now, and his breath hitched in the back of his throat when Shar stepped into his arms again, pulling at the hem of his own shirt.

'Your turn.' She whispered. He obeyed dazedly, stripping off his own shirt, then moaning softly when Sharona let her fingers trail across his stomach, up over his chest, fingernails teasing his nipples.

'Shar!' He gasped. 'Oh, love...please. Stop. I want...' He actually couldn't verbalize what he wanted, couldn't say anything coherent, in fact. His brain had shut down, overpowered by the needs of his body.

Shay's hands grabbed her waist and yanked her into his arms so they were skin to skin, and Sharona shivered when she felt his fingers trying to undo her bra. Reaching behind, she helped him unclasp it, and it fell to the floor at her feet, already forgotten.

Sheamus stared at her for a moment, an almost awestruck expression on his face.

_'Tà tù go hàlainn.'_ He whispered, using words she couldn't understand, but somehow knew were an endearment. _'Go hàlainn ar fad._'

A sound, pleading and alien to her own ears, escaped her as Shay stroked her nipple with his thumb, and then, she was arching into him, tangling her fingers in his hair, when he dipped his head to suckle on it, fingers already teasing the other one. She felt her knees buckle, moist heat pulsing between her thighs, and he actually lowered her to the floor, looming over her.

'I want you.' Her voice didn't sound like her own, but her body didn't feel like her own, either. She ached all over, and all she wanted right now was for Shay to possess her, to make her his. 'Please, babe...I can't wait.'

Doubt and desire were suddenly battling for dominance, as far as Sheamus was concerned. Was he really going to have sex with Shar on the floor of his locker-room? Didn't she deserve better? But at the same time, everything from his waist down was excited and ready. And she looked so inviting, so beautiful, lying beneath him.

'Shar, pet...are ya sure?' He didn't get to finish his query, as she leaned up to press her lips to his, then travelled further down to flick her tongue across his nipple, making him jerk and groan loudly.

'We can be slow, later.' She told him, voice quivering. 'But now...I need you, Shay. Please.'

It was all the assurance he needed. Kneeling back on his haunches, he unbuckled his belt, undid his jeans and pulled them and his boxers down together with one impatient tug. He sprang free, hard and flushed and already leaking, and Shay managed a smile when Shar's eyes widened in astonishment.

Sharona couldn't get out of her own clothes fast enough; Shay's manhood was impressive, to say the least, and the sight of her boyfriend tensing in anticipation, almost made her come on the spot. She cried out, hips jerking, when she was finally naked and Shay slipped an explorative finger inside her.

'Fuck, Shar, you're so wet.' He grunted. She'd never heard Sheamus swear before, but the situation definitely called for it. He removed his finger and parted her thighs with his knee, then slipped between them, grabbing the condom off the bench and ripping it open.

He slipped it on, then stared down at her, his expression one of indescribable need, but also tenderness. She almost said she loved right at that moment, but the words disappeared, replaced by a cry of surprise and pleasure, when Shay pushed his way into her.

Sheamus froze when he was finally in her to the hilt, muscles taut. He groaned helplessly at how wet and tight Shar felt, wrapped around him, and he shuddered when she raked her nails down his back, and growled, encouraging him to start moving. The rhythm, once he did begin to move inside her, quickly became fast and frenzied, both of them past the point of being willing or able to take it slow and easy.

Sheamus' head was flung back; his face, hued red with exertion, was a mask of pleasure and concentration, as he took satisfaction from the haphazard movements of her body, and gave Shar pleasure at the same time.

Sharona rocked her hips in time with Shay's, her moans mingling with his, already feeling her peak approaching. Despite the speed with which they'd got to this point, this was already turning out to be the best sex of her life. Shay was hitting all the right spots, touching her in all the right places, and the sight of her normally unflappable boyfriend, lost in the throes of their lovemaking, beyond all self-control, was adding to her excitement.

'Shar...shit...love..._Christ_!' Sheamus' hands scrabbled for purchase, looking for something, anything, to hold onto, as he felt his climax approach at an alarming rate. In the end, he grabbed Shar's backside and lifted her up and onto him, thrusting harder, faster, than ever.

It was enough to trigger Shar's orgasm; her entire body shook, as she cried out, pleasure tearing through her in wave after mindless wave. She clung to Shay, sobbing her fulfillment against his shoulder, as he continued to pound into her.

But not for much longer.

As he felt the reverberation of Shar's climax echo around him, his whole body stiffened and he slammed into her one final time, before he screwed his eyes shut and let out a strangled roar of completion as he came, body shaking as his release overtook him.

Several moments later, as the pleasure faded and the afterglow set in, Sharona found herself trapped under Sheamus' not-inconsiderable weight, his breath, still coming in short gasps, fanning against her hair. She didn't care about that or anything right now-she felt like she was floating.

Presently, Sheamus lifted himself up on his hands, gazing down at her. His body ached in all the right places, and his legs felt like jelly. He hadn't exactly been with a lot of women in his time, but this was, by far, the most amazing experience he'd ever had.

There was a lot to be said for losing yourself in lust.

'I'm sorry, darlin', I'm too heavy.' He apologized, slowly pulling out of her, then rolling onto his back, gathering her into his arms. Even lying on this pretty cold floor with her felt like heaven.

Feeling a hand on his chest, he stared down into the smiling, utterly satiated expression of his girlfriend, and felt his heart melt.

Yep-he was well and truly in love.

He only hoped she felt-or somewhere down the line, _could_ feel-the same...

**Coming up: Del Rio exacts revenge on Sheamus-and as the feud gets completely out of hand, something shocking happens. Not sure when next update will be, but thanks for your patience, and for reading, of course! Please R&R! :) Ellen **


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

_I want to thank everyone for reading, reviewing, and favouriting, again. If I don't reply to all of you personally, it doesn't mean your opinion doesn't matter-it __**so**__ does. You've all encouraged me and helped me better myself as a writer. Thank you all so much. _

_So, there has been a brief delay as far as moving house goes, so I wanted to get one more chapter up, however inane, before insanity ensues. 'Drive My Car' belongs to The Beatles-I do love The Beatles. :) Consider this little bit of filler the 'calm before the storm', if you will. _

**The next morning **

Sheamus stirred as the sunlight peeked through the curtains, throwing one large arm across the bed, his eyes opening slowly when he realized it was otherwise unoccupied.

He tried to sit up, then groaned softly, cracking a grin, when his body reminded him of what his brain was a little slower to process:

'Borrowing' Bertie's car.

Mindless, lust-fuelled sex with Shar in his locker-room.

Bringing her back to his hotel room, where his gorgeous and gloriously uninhibited girlfriend had kept her promise to take it 'slow'.

Christ, last night had been amazing. And his body still had the scratch marks and persistent ache to prove it.

He ran a hand through his red hair, wondering, through his sleep-addled brain, where Shar had got to. Then he heard it-the hiss of water from the shower in the ensuite bathroom. And...was she _singing_?

Sheamus tried to listen through the sound of running water, and when he finally realized exactly what Shar was singing, he fell back against the pillows, roaring with laughter:

_'Asked a girl what she wanted to be, _

_She said baby, can't you see? _

_I wanna be famous, a star on the screen, _

_But you can do something in between- _

_Baby, you can drive my car, _

_Yes, I'm gonna be a star. _

_Baby, you can drive my car, _

_And maybe I'll love you.. _

_Beep-beep, beep-beep, yeah!' _

Sharona was on cloud nine right at that moment. Head over heels in love, she felt like screaming at the top of her lungs how she felt bout Shay, but still felt that it was too soon. The last thing she wanted to do was freak him out.

She was a little worried about how Alberto was going to react to the theft of his car-and the less-than-perfect state it had been returned in. Neither she nor her boyfriend could exactly blame him if he decided to press charges-she just hoped they could avoid that.

For now, though, she was going to dry off and bid good morning to her sexy Irish lover.

Sheamus raised himself up on his elbows when Shar emerged from the bathroom wearing only a towel, her black hair wet, gazing at her appreciatively. Playfully, he reached for the end of the towel, but she danced out of his reach, giggling.

'Get your butt out of bed, lazy bones!' She teased him, and then shrieked when, quick as a flash, he threw back the sheets and flung his arms around her, pulling her onto the bed and nuzzling her neck.

The fact that he was still stark naked did not escape Sharona's attention, and she was tempted to indulge him, to make love to him again, but...

'We need to get out of this room, Shay.' She protested weakly. 'We're late already.'

She got a groan in response, and finally, he rolled off of her. 'Bleedin' hotels.' He muttered. 'What's their rush, anyway?' Then he grinned at her. 'Alright, love.' He ceded. 'But I'll be expectin' a rematch later.'

'Rematch, huh?' Sharona chortled. This was intriguing. 'And what does the winner get?'

She watched as Shay threw back his head and laughed, his whole face lighting up, and she actually felt her heart dissolve into a puddle of goo.

So _this_ was what love felt like.

She was by no means the sappy type-past experience had taught her that opening her heart too much resulted in it getting crushed-but this man, this funny, genuine, free-spirited, sexy, ginger-haired Irishman had destroyed every emotional defense she had ever erected.

And she no longer cared.

She shivered as Shay traced lazy circles around her collarbone with his pale-not to mention _skilled_, she thought-fingers. He was still chuckling softly.

'To be honest, darlin', he replied. 'I think we'd _both_ be winners. I'd give ya a little preview, but they'd definitely come to throw us out then.'

Sheamus kissed her and got out of bed, totally unabashed by his nudity. Well, the lass had already seen him naked, and after last night, he was fairly sure that there wasn't a single part of his body she wasn't completely familiar with.

When she looked him up and down slowly, he asked, 'See anythin' ya like?' He was trying to keep things light, but God, when she looked at him like that, it took all his self-control not to get right back into that bed and have her again.

'I see _lots _I like, babe.' Regret was evident in Shar's voice, as she got up also. 'But we gotta get dressed. I mean, we can't...'

'I was teasin' ya darlin'.' Sheamus replied, though he knew the temptation was there on both their parts. 'Let me get a quick shower, and then we'll get out of here, okay?'...

**A short time later **

Phil no longer used hotel rooms or travelled in rental cars while WWE toured within the US, Sharona knew. Not since he'd bought himself that luxurious, massive tour bus he pretty much inhabited, travelling from city to city, usually with his friend Kofi Kingston, who Phil jokingly referred to as his 'road wife' (_AN: Have any of you seen Punk's bus? My __**house**__ is smaller than that thing!)_.

The bus was parked up a couple of blocks from the hotel, and once they checked out, Sharona told Shay that she wanted to speak to Phil for a few minutes.

Shay arched an eyebrow. 'Yer not goin' ta give him a blow-by-blow account, are ya?' He quipped, and Sharona spluttered laughter.

'After last night, that's pretty appropriate phrasing.' She joked, relishing his blush. 'But no. Phil doesn't wanna hear about the details of my love life any more than I wanna _tell_ him.'...

It was easy to locate Phil's bus; it was parked in a mostly vacated parking lot. The reason for its being almost empty, Sharona thought, might be due to the raucous sound of Anti-Flag coming from the vehicle. She knew Phil, like her, was a fan of the punk group and she could hear that the song pounding through the bus' expensive stereo system was 'War Sucks, Let's Party':

_'It's unbelievable, _

_It's unbelievable to watch the system crumble. _

_This political shakedown, coming correct from the underground. _

_We've been cut up, _

_We've been shut up for far too long, yeah!...' _

Singing along to lyrics she knew well, she marched over and hammered on the door and shouted, 'Hey! Haven't you heard of noise pollution?!'

It was Kofi who opened the door, and immediately, Sharona's expression softened. She adored Kofi-he was a sweetheart, full of infectious enthusiasm and optimism, that, miraculously, even Phil, Captain Cynical himself, hadn't diminished.

'Hey, sweetie, is the douchebag around?' She asked, and Kofi grinned. 'Do _I_ look like I'd listen to this crap?' He responded, and just like that, Phil appeared beside him.

'Ok, first of all,' he said, pointing at Kofi. 'If you wanna keep travelling with me, smartass, you need to _never_ refer to Anti-Flag as 'crap' again.'

Turning his attention to Sharona, he jerked his finger in her direction and added, 'And secondly, I am _not_ a douchebag. I'm a loveable jerk. Get it right.'

Sharona rolled her eyes at her best friend and mimed yawning-she knew he was just messing with both of them.

'You done?' She asked. 'Can I come in now, or are you gonna keep shooting your mouth off?'

Phil grinned at her. 'Sure.' He told her. 'Wipe your feet and make yourself at home.'

'Wipe my feet on _what_?' She exclaimed. 'Kofi's head?'

Jokingly, Kofi ducked his head back, and Phil actually laughed. 'If that rocks your boat, have at it.' He quipped, pushing Kofi inside when he protested.

As soon as Sharona stepped on board, Kofi retired to Phil's room at the back. 'If you'll excuse me, I was kicking Punk's ass on _**WWE 13**_.' He grinned.

'Which is the one and only way you will _ever_ kick my ass, pal.' Phil shot back. 'Kicking my virtual ass on a video game-it's pathetic!'

Kofi just waved an arm at him as he left, obviously well used to Phil's ribbing.

When he was gone, Phil turned to Sharona with a sly grin. 'So,' he began. 'Is what I've been hearing true? Did you and Sheamo _really _take a little joyride in del Rio's car last night?'

'News sure does travel fast.' Sharona said drily, taking a can of Diet Pepsi from the refrigerator, opening it and taking a swig.

'Not as fast as Alberto's _car_, apparently.' Phil replied, his grin widening. 'I didn't have you down as someone who would aid and abet a criminal.'

She knew Phil was joking, but it didn't stop her slapping the back of his head. 'Shay is _not_ a criminal, you jerk.' She couldn't quite keep the laughter out of her voice. 'Del Rio had it coming, you know that.'

'Hmmm.' Phil seemed to be thinking. 'I wonder if _he'll_ see it that way.' Then, changing the subject, he asked, 'Anyway, what did you and Sheamo get up to after you brought back the car? I thought you'd call.'

Sharona could feel herself blushing, and she knew that Phil never missed anything.

Sure enough, he backed up, chuckling. 'Whoa, _whoa_,' he said. 'No need to explain-your face says it all. I guess that Ferrari wasn't the _only_ thing going fast last night.'

Then his expression turned to one of concern, and Sharona sighed resignedly. She knew what was coming. Despite Phil's tough, 'I-don't-care' attitude, once somebody was his friend, he wouldn't hesitate to go to bat for them.

Or, in her case, go into 'protective brother' mode.

'You sure you're not rushing things, Shar?' He asked, and, off her glare, he threw up his hands. 'I know, I know, you're a grown woman.' He conceded. 'And I'm not gonna try and tell you how to live your life-mainly because you'd totally beat me up if I did. It just...well, it's all happened kind of fast, hasn't it?'

Sharona sat down heavily. She knew it wasn't Phil's intention, but he'd almost made her feel ashamed of her relationship with Shay.

_Almost. _

'I'm not Straight Edge, Phil.' He looked surprised at her choice of words. 'But I don't believe in being promiscuous any more than you do.'

'Shar, I never said-' She held up a hand and he fell quiet, but eyed her uneasily. He obviously felt he'd said entirely the wrong thing.

'I'm not mad, you sap.' She retorted gently. 'I'm just saying that I know that what's happened between me and Shay has happened pretty fast, but...it feels _right_. You were right-he's nothing like Kane. What we have is real, and I don't...'

She trailed off when she saw Phil was grinning at her. 'What?'

'First, I'm usually right.' He quipped, and Sharona groaned and rolled her eyes at him again. 'Second, and this is the serious part...you love that giant redhead, don't you?'

It was only last night that Sharona had faced up to her feelings for Sheamus, but this was her best friend-there was no way she could ever hide anything from Phil Brooks, anyway.

So she nodded. 'Yeah.' She replied. 'Yeah, I do. Especially after last night.'

'And I _so_ do not need the gory details.' He joked, chuckling, then he added, with sincerity, 'I'm happy for you, Shar. Sheamo's a decent guy. 'Course, if he hurts you, there'll be a serious ass-kicking in his future.'

'Administered by _me_.' Sharona replied firmly. 'Nobody else. But...he won't hurt me, Phil. Don't even ask me how I know. I just do.'

Phil nodded, taking it all in, then said, 'Just hope what Sheamo did to del Rio's car was worth it. 'Cause I imagine our favourite Mexican asshole's gonna be _seriously _pissed about it.'

Which, if Sharona was honest, was exactly what worried her...

_**Next: Alberto's revenge. Sharona's birthday. Sheamus' dilemma. The more I read over this, the more I think I made Punk and Kofi out to be a couple, lol. Then again, I guess when two people travel together a lot, things can become 'domesticated', to an extent. It totally wasn't my intention though. **____** Will update as soon as I can-please R&R! Ellen. **_


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

_**I'm updating more often than I thought, but things are pretty insane at the moment. Thanks, as always, for the kind words. You all inspire me. :) **_

_**As far as Big Show being the new WHC...grrr. It doesn't bear thinking about. I'm just hoping Shay regains the title **__**SOON**__**. Did anyone see his parking lot brawl with Show on SmackDown? He looked SO sexy in grey! *drool* Yes, I have it bad, lol! **_

_'So, if you're mad, get mad; _

_Don't hold it all inside, come on and talk to me now. _

_Hey, what have you got to hide? I get angry too-well, I'm a lot like you. _

_When you're standing at the crossroads, and don't know which path to choose, _

_Let me come along, 'cause even if you're wrong, _

_I'll stand by you...' _

_-The Pretenders, 'I'll Stand By You _

**Smackdown, four days later **

Apparently, del Rio had contacted the police about Sheamus stealing his car. Of course, technically Sheamus had brought it back, but, considering the near-undriveable state it had been returned in, Sharona really wasn't surprised that del Rio had taken this action.

However, she _was _greatly surprised when del Rio told Shay that he would forget about filing a report with the police if Shay would grant him a World Title match. _Tonight. _

Of course, Shay, fighting champion that he was, had immediately agreed, had even politely apologized to Bertie, and on the surface, all seemed resolved.

But Sharona was deeply suspicious that the Mexican had something else up his sleeve...

Sheamus could tell that Shar was worried about tonight's match against del Rio, but he refused to be concerned. He'd beaten Bertie before, and he was confident he could do it again. Besides, despite the fun he'd had stealing Bertie's car-and sleeping with Shar for the first time afterwards-the last thing he wanted was a criminal record. He'd kept his nose clean for all of his thirty-four years-and he wanted to keep it that way.

Sharona watched backstage as Shay headed to the ring for his match with del Rio, trying to swallow her apprehension. She had a bad feeling about this whole situation, that wouldn't quite go away. It wasn't like Alberto to be so reasonable-and it was pretty common knowledge that he was afraid of Shay.

So why challenge him like this?

The answer came pretty quickly-before the bell even rang, what looked like nine or ten police officers came down to the ring, while a genuinely shocked-looking del Rio shouted, 'No! I didn't file the report! _Stop_!'

However, as they surrounded the ring, a knowing, devious grin spread across the Mexican's face, and Sharona's heart sank.

It was a set-up. She should have _known_.

Shay didn't stand a chance-he tried to fight back, but as soon as he went for del Rio, the 'police', who were obviously hired thugs, jumped on her boyfriend and started beating him to a pulp, and a gleeful Alberto began to kick him as he lay helpless on the mat.

Sharona knew that she shouldn't go out there, that they were hopelessly outnumbered, but her anger overrode her ability to think reasonably, as often happened. She was not going to stand by and let her boyfriend get hurt again. She was a woman, after all-perhaps they'd show mercy to her.

The fans were booing loudly until Sharona appeared, and their derogatory shouts turned to cheers. She hit the ring, screaming at Shay's assailants.

'Get off him!' She yelled, covering Shay's prone body with her own. 'Leave him alone, you sons of bitches!'

Immediately, Alberto stepped in, waving his hands. 'No, stop!' He ordered in Spanish. 'It's done, let's go!'

As they all departed, Sharona dimly realized that she was crying, something she rarely did. Shay was battered and practically unconscious, welts and bruises already beginning to form on his pale skin.

This time, she didn't have to call for help; paramedics quickly came rushing down to the ring, followed closely by the SmackDown General Manager, Booker T, who also looked incredibly angry.

As the experts tended a beaten Sheamus, Booker tried to comfort Sharona, who couldn't stop her tears. 'He'll be fine, Shar.' He assured her. 'I just don't know how del Rio got those guys past security, but I can promise you one thing-Alberto del Rio can kiss his title shot at SummerSlam goodbye!'

Before Sharona could protest-she knew that Booker cancelling the match would be the _last _thing Shay wanted-one of the paramedics touched her shoulder, diverting her attention.

'I think he's asking for you.' He said gently, and sure enough, Shay was trying to roll onto his back, murmuring her name. Forgetting Booker's statement for the moment, she rushed over to him. 'It's ok, baby.' She soothed him. 'Just relax, I'm here.'

But she couldn't help but wonder how Shay would react to Alberto's latest act of cowardice when he came to properly...

She had to wait outside Shay's locker-room while the paramedics worked on him-they seemed more concerned than the last time del Rio had attacked him. But then, it hadn't been just del Rio this time-there had been about ten other guys attacking him too!

Sharona understood that del Rio was angry about his car, but she felt that Shay's punishment was vastly disproportionate to his crime. He hadn't deserved such a vicious beating.

Her mind turned to what Booker had said. She knew that her boyfriend would never allow him to cancel his match against Alberto, especially now, but she respected the fact that SmackDown's GM just had Shay's welfare at heart.

God, would he even be _able _to defend his title at SummerSlam?

Her thoughts were rudely interrupted by a loud, animalistic roar, coming from Shay's locker-room. As she approached, the paramedics came rushing out, wearing expressions filled with varying degrees of sheer terror. She was about to ask what the Hell was going on, when a chair came flying out of her boyfriend's locker-room, hitting the opposite wall, followed by another furious roar.

And then she knew:

Shay was fully awake.

And, by the looks and sounds of it, _extremely_ angry.

Before she knew what was happening, John Cena appeared at her side. Phil wasn't here; since he usually wrestled on RAW, he'd taken a well-deserved break from SmackDown for the weeks leading up to SummerSlam, when he would be facing John and The Big Show in a Triple Threat Match.

She didn't care for Paul Wight, and knew the feeling was mutual, but she and John had debuted in WWE the same year-she knew he was a good guy and she had a ton of respect for him, and they had always been pretty close friends. John was primarily a RAW competitor also, but he never took breaks. Few people in the business worked harder.

But Phil was her best friend-so it stood to reason that she would be rooting for him at SummerSlam.

John looked genuinely concerned. 'Hey, I saw what happened.' He said. 'Took a lotta guts to go out there, Shar. I was about to ask if Sheamus was okay, but...' He winced as another shout intruded into the relative quiet, and the banging and clattering from his locker-room continued.

'I need to see if he's okay, John.' Sharona replied, but as she turned to go, he caught her arm, looking more concerned than before.

'Shar, maybe you should wait 'till he calms down.' He advised her, turning his gaze pointedly in the direction of all the commotion.

At first, Sharona wasn't sure how to respond to this, and then, as she saw the blatant unease on John's face, she realized exactly what he meant.

'He won't hurt me.' Her voice sounded as confident in that statement as she felt, and John frowned. 'Don't get me wrong, Shar.' He told her. 'I _like_ the guy, I do. But...are you _sure_ about that?'

And she smiled. Smiled because this was the easiest reply she'd ever given to anyone.

'As a matter of fact, John, I am.' She replied, and then turned and walked off.

Shay's locker-room was a mess; benches and chairs had been tossed around, some were broken. A bank of lockers had been pulled to one side, and a large dent told her he'd taken his anger out on them as well.

In the midst of the chaos, on a surprisingly intact chair, sat Shay, trembling and breathing hard, upper body already black and blue. But he seemed more angry than hurt.

His head was in his hands, and though still confident that Shay would not harm her, she was still hesitant in her approach.

When she said his name softly, his head snapped up, and Sharona faltered when she saw his beautiful blue eyes were full of cold rage. For a moment, he reminded her of the Sheamus who had first come to WWE three years ago, the vicious, arrogant rookie who didn't care who he crushed on his way to the top.

But that was _not_ who her boyfriend was. Not anymore.

As if to confirm this, Shay's expression became gentle, and he wrapped his arms around her waist, laying his head against her chest. 'I'll kill him, darlin'.' His voice was unclear, but his intention was anything but. 'I'll bleedin' _kill _him.'

Getting beaten up was one thing-and Sheamus O' Shaunessy had never backed down from an arse kicking, it had come with the territory, whether as a bullied kid or as a professional wrestler-but it was the fact that he had been outsmarted and humiliated by _del Rio_, of all people, that made him so angry.

And even in his near-unconscious state in the ring, he had seen Shar crying, which only added to his fury.

He _never_ wanted to see that lass cry again.

Pulling away, he gestured to the wrecked locker-room with a wry smile. 'Sorry about this, or if I frightened ya.' He said gently. 'Just got so pissed off, I couldn't think straight.'

Shar shrugged, grinning. 'To be honest, I was thinking the place could do with a revamp.' She replied dismissively, and Sheamus chuckled. Trust her to defuse his anger so easily. But revenge was still at the forefront of his mind.

'I'll get him back for this, Shar.' He vowed. 'No messin'. I just need to come up with a plan.'

'I have one.' Sharona spoke up, taking his hand, and as he looked at her curiously, she added, 'But I don't think you're gonna like it.'…

**Coming up: As expected, Shay **_**doesn't **_**like Sharona's plan-and her decision to make a stand will ultimately result in heartbreak. But first, will Sheamus face del Rio at SummerSlam? And since the day after the event is Shar's birthday, what is Sheamus going to get his girlfriend? Reviews are my...oh, you know the rest. :) Ellen.**


	6. AUTHOR'S NOTE!

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

I couldn't think of anywhere else to put this, so hope you all don't mind. This story is going to turn out a lot longer than I originally anticipated, but I have an idea for another Sharona/Sheamus fic, set during Nexus' attempted overrun of WWE. Sheamus would have been a heel then so it'll be a darker story, and a lot smuttier.

Basically, the outline of the story would be Sharona attempting to reach out to Shay, to get him to help WWE run Nexus out of town, so to speak-but finds herself becoming sexually attracted to him.

I just want to run it by all of you, to see if you would be interested in reading such a story. Obviously, my main priority is 'Whatever Else Happens', but I could begin work on this other story too as soon as I could. So what do you all think?

Thanks so much for your time!

Ellen.


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6 **

_{I'm having a blast with this, especially since all you kind folks keep encouraging me. This chapter picks up immediately where the last left off, and Sharona's plan will unfold properly as the chapter does ok? _

_**'Thabharfainn fuil mo chroí duit, a stór**__.'-Irish phrase; its literal meaning is, __**'I'd give you the blood of my heart, my darling **__(it's basically a wordy profession of love).' }_

'No.'

Sharona has expected Shay to disapprove of her plan, but not this vehemently. His expression was implacable, shoulders squared, and she knew she'd have to work to get around him, somehow.

'Babe, I'm not afraid of del Rio.' She protested.

'I never said ya _were_, Shar.' He interrupted. 'But ya must be mad in the head if ya think I'm going to let ya call out del Rio by _yerself_ next week!'

'I won't _be_ by myself.' She retorted. 'He'll just _think_ I am. He needs a taste of his own medicine, Shay-we can prove we don't need a gang of thugs to outsmart him.'

They were still in his wrecked locker-room, Shay still seated, glaring dubiously at her, and she knew she needed to play her ace card. Cupping his face in her hands, she smiled gently and added, 'You need to trust me, babe.'

As she'd hoped, Shay's expression grew soft. 'Ah, love, don't say that.' He replied. 'You _know_ I trust ya. I just don't trust _him_.'

'Look,' she tried to assure him. 'If things look bad, you can come out there, alright? Thing is, I don't think he'll hurt me-soon as I showed up tonight, he called off his dogs. I don't think even _he'd_ hurt a woman.'

Shay still looked unconvinced, and she sighed. 'Let me try.' She pleaded. 'Let me try to help pay back the son of a bitch back for what he did to you.'

Sheamus saw Shar's expression change, tears welling up, and he realized that she wasn't just doing this for him; what del Rio and those thugs had done to him had upset her, had _frightened _her, and he knew his girlfriend well enough to know that she hated feeling scared or helpless.

This was as much revenge on her _own_ behalf as his.

Ceding defeat, he pulled her into his arms, kissing her forehead. 'First sign of trouble, I kick his arse, love.' He growled. 'I mean it.' He felt her smile against his chest, and then she said, her voice slightly muffled, 'You'll kick his ass, anyway. He just won't expect it.'

Sheamus nodded, then stood slowly, wincing at what felt like a million aches and pains in his battered body. 'I should go talk to Booker.' He said. 'Tell him not to cancel the match. I'm not lettin' the fecker off that easy.'

He stopped short when Shar took his hand. 'It can wait.' She said. 'Right now, you need to get some rest. Let's go back to the hotel and go to bed.'

Sheamus cracked a grin at her. He was pretty sure he wasn't up to making love tonight-but going to bed with his beautiful girlfriend suddenly sounded like a _very _welcome prospect.

'Yer right, love.' He replied. 'Let me get a shower and get dressed, and we'll get out of here.'...

**Later that night:**

Sheamus wasn't sure what time it was, or exactly what had woken him, but as he stirred in the kingsize bed, he smiled when he felt the warm body against his.

He still felt sore and bone-weary from the earlier assault, and he and Shar hadn't made love-he'd simply been too tired and in too much pain-but he'd felt oddly content to just gather her into his arms and let sleep overcome both of them. He just hoped she didn't mind that they hadn't been intimate.

Reaching out, Sheamus gently brushed a strand of hair from her face, smiling as she muttered something inaudible and snuggled closer to him, marveling all the while at how his skin looked even paler compared to her natural tan.

He also had to marvel at how quickly he'd fallen for this beautiful, amazing woman. And while he hated the thought of her facing del Rio alone, he knew how tough she was, knew she could handle herself.

But if that Mexican arsehole harmed so much as a hair on her head, his life wouldn't be worth living.

He was by no means a 'hearts and flowers', romantic kind of fella, it wasn't in his nature, but he knew Shar's thirty-second birthday was coming up on August 20, the day after SummerSlam, and he wanted to get her something that would leave her in no doubt as to how he felt, without actually having to say 'I love you'-because those three little words frightened the shite out of him.

Unknown to Shar, he'd had his heart broken before-and he was wary of it happening again. He'd had a girlfriend back home in Ireland before coming to America, a girl he'd been prepared to marry. But she'd cheated on him, shattered his heart, and shown no remorse for it.

He hadn't thought of Imelda for a while, but being with Sharona, and feeling all these emotions develop so quickly, had brought all the bad memories back.

All things considered, maybe falling in love with Shar so quickly hadn't been a good idea-but it wasn't like he'd planned it.

As he stared down at his girlfriend, his lover, spooned in his arms, he prayed that history wouldn't repeat itself.

Confident that she was sound asleep, and knowing she wouldn't understand what he was about to say anyway, he leaned over and whispered, _'Thabharfainn cuil mo chroí duit, a stór.'_...

**SmackDown, the following week:**

_'You think you know me, know what I do,  
_

_But all you think about, is what it all means to you...' _

Sharona walked down to the ring alone, heart pounding with anticipation. Not fear, though. There was no way she was scared of del Rio. And besides, if all this went to plan, it'd be worth it.

As she stepped into the ring, microphone in hand, the cheers slowly began to die down, allowing her to speak. Reminding herself that when she wanted to be, she could be a very good actress, she let tears brim in her eyes, and made her voice sound choked up.

'Well, I hope you're happy, del Rio.' She began. 'You put Sheamus out of action, which means he's not here tonight-' She paused as the crowd began to boo-'and I'm not sure when he'll be back. He's been _hurt_, you son of a bitch, hurt because you couldn't be a _man_, you couldn't face him by yourself, you...'

Sharona stopped as del Rio's entrance music hit, and her heartbeat quickened even more.

_Here we go_, she thought.

A gorgeous white Porsche purred down the entrance ramp, and as it came to a stop, del Rio emerged, followed closely by Ricardo Rodriguez.

Sharona eyed them warily, angrily, reminding herself that the end result would be worth it.

Del Rio approached her, and as if he sensed her unease, gave her his best greasy smile. Only two minutes in the ring with this guy, and she felt dirty.

'Don't worry, _corazón,_' He said smoothly. 'I won't hurt you.'

And that one sentence was enough to rile Sharona. This asshole was responsible for her boyfriend being brutally attacked, and he was actually going to stand here and call her 'sweetheart' and act like she was Kelly Kelly or some fragile damsel in distress who was actually _afraid_.

She got right in his face, relishing the suddenly uneasy look on it.

'You're damn right you won't.' She growled, and as the crowd erupted into cheers, chanting her name, del Rio took a hesitant step back, while Rodriguez looked on, also looking nervous. They obviously hadn't expected this.

It took del Rio a moment, but then he recovered somewhat, and grinned. 'You have guts, Sharona.' He told her. 'I'll grant you that. But I must be honest-I really don't know why you're so angry.'

Sharona could only gape at him. Was he actually _serious_?

Before she could respond, he went on, sounding so condescending, she could punch him in the face for it-except that wasn't part of the plan, 'I mean, you can't really tell me you _love_ that..._peasant_.'

She actually saw red for an instant, almost knocked del Rio out, and to hell with the plan, but managed to restrain herself.

Instead, she started to laugh. Loudly. Uncontrollably.

Del Rio and Rodriguez stared at her in shock momentarily, then, just as she'd hoped, they started to laugh along with her.

She stepped closer to del Rio, both of them still laughing, and as soon as she knew for sure that his guard was down, she abruptly stopped laughing, grabbed him by the lapel of his jacket and yanked his face close to hers, her expression contorted with rage and hate.

_Now_ he looked scared.

They _both_ did.

_Good_.

'Let's get one thing straight.' Her voice was a low, threatening snarl. 'That _peasant_? He's worth _ten_ of you. No, scratch that-he's worth a _hundred_ of you. And you know what, _pondejo_? I _do_ love him!'

Too late, she realized what she'd blurted out in front of everyone-she just hoped Shay would understand. But more importantly, she thought, panicking now, she hoped her feelings were reciprocated.

Del Rio sneered at her, pulling out of her grasp. 'Come on, Ricardo.' He shouted to his announcer. 'We are wasting our time here.'

'Hey, Bertie!' He turned slowly and she approached him again, trying to suppress the ominous feeling in her stomach. 'There's one thing you need to know about me-I _always_ have to have the last word. So, with that in mind, I only have one last word for you.'

She put her face close to his, and off his confused and angry expression, she uttered one word:

'_Psych_.'

There was a seemingly interminable silence, and then:

_'It's a shame that they lost their head; _

_A careless man could wind up dead_...'

_**Flashback**_

**Earlier**:

Booker T glared at Sheamus and Sharona as they strolled into his office. 'Sheamus, you are _not_ supposed to be here.' He said sharply. 'You're injured, dawg.'

'_Injured_?' Sheamus repeated, just as sharply. 'I'm not injured, Booker. Not so injured that I can't kick del Rio's arse. You can't cancel my match at SummerSlam on Sunday!'

Booker threw up his hands. 'Sheamus, I have already made my decision.' He retorted, and Sharona cut in, 'We respect that, Book, but you need to _un_make it. That Mexican douchebag's got the ass kicking of a lifetime coming to him-and we wanna make sure he gets it. Which is why we're here. I mean, do you have any idea how hard it is to smuggle a man who looks like he does, and has _red hair_, into the arena?'

Booker frowned suspiciously. 'Smuggle?' He echoed. 'What do you mean, smugg-?' He stopped, as if something had dawned on him suddenly, and he added, his voice rising, 'What the _Hell_ are you two up to?'

Sheamus' expression was grim as he replied, 'Shar's got a plan, Booker. Even though I'm not happy 'bout it.'

Off Booker's questioning look, Sharona sighed, then explained what she intended to do.

The SmackDown GM didn't say anything for a moment, but stared hard at the couple. Finally, he spoke, sounding both annoyed and amused. 'Let me see if I got this straight.' He said slowly. 'You want me to pretend that a man who _is_ here, _isn't_ here, so you can go down to the ring and call out del Rio _by yourself_, so Sheamus can show up out of the blue and beat the crap out of him?'

Sharona grinned. 'That's the plan.' She replied, and Booker shook his head at her. 'You _honestly_ expect me to give you permission to put yourself in danger like that?'

Turning to Sheamus, he asked, 'How do _you_ feel about this?'

Sheamus shrugged, obviously still not happy. 'She knows how I feel about it.' He told him. 'But I haven't been able to talk her out of it-she's determined to do it.'

Sharona laid her hand over Sheamus', smiling. 'It'll be fine, babe.' She reassured him. 'You'll see.'

Then, turning her attention to Booker, she added, 'I'm not asking for permission, Book. I'm going down there, regardless. I'm just asking you to play along for now.'...

_**End flashback **_

Del Rio and Rodriguez both recoiled in horror as Sheamus came barreling down to the ring, roaring with fury.

'You set me up!' Del Rio screamed at her, and she grinned, backing out of the ring.

'What can I say, _Bertie_?' She called. 'Karma's a _bitch_!'

However, even as Shay tossed Rodriguez out of the ring and pounced on Alberto, pummeling him into a squealing heap on the mat, Sharona noticed that when he glanced in her direction, his expression was...well, puzzled.

And wary.

Or just plain _scared_.

It was fairly obvious that her inadvertent declaration of love had completely freaked him out. Which was something she'd wanted desperately to avoid.

Just then, Booker T came out, mic in hand, and, adhering to their earlier plan, shouted, 'Sheamus, what are you doing here?'

'Booker!' Shay shouted in response, but it didn't escape Sharona's attention that he kept throwing uneasy glances in her direction, like he didn't want her there. He actually looked embarrassed as well, and she could understand why.

She should have told _him_ how she felt first-instead of del Rio and the rest of the world.

She'd been such an _idiot_.

'I want you to reinstate my match against del Rio at SummerSlam!' Shay continued, and Sharona slipped away, telling herself that when he got backstage, they'd talk things through properly.

They'd work it out.

As she passed Booker, the SmackDown GM finally agreed to reinstate the match, and the crowd went nuts...

Thirty minutes later, Shay still hadn't turned up, so she went to his locker-room, only to discover it was locked.

Passing by, one of the crew guys told her, 'Hey, Sheamus left about fifteen minutes ago, Shar-seemed to be in a hell of a hurry, too. He didn't say anything?'

_No_, Sharona thought numbly, her heart sinking to her toes, slowly breaking all the way. _He __**hadn't**__ said anything_.

And she knew why, too.

Shay _didn't_ feel the same way.

She had _completely_ screwed things up...

_**Ok-have you ever written a story, intending to do something, only to veer off in a different direction? Well, that's kind of what's happened here. I know there was no previous reference to an ex who broke Shay's heart, but well, I couldn't resist the angst-hope it's okay. I'm not going to tell you what's coming next, because you know what? Even I don't know at this point. I will tell you, though, that Shay is ever so slightly freaked by what Sharona let slip. As you'll see. I hope you all read on, regardless. :) Ellen**_**.**


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

**Just a little chapter before SummerSlam-a look at Sharona's POV, and a little bit of Sheamus', as Shar seeks comfort from her best friend and Shay sits in his hotel room. Thanks, as always, for your kind comments. :) **

_'Black is the colour of my true love's hair; _

_Her lips are like some roses fair. _

_She has the sweetest smile, and the gentlest hands, _

_And I love the ground whereon she stands..._

'**-Black Is The Colour (Celtic folk song)'**

/

Phil and his longtime friend Colt Cabana were in his bus, discussing the events of SmackDown. Phil had come because Shar had, of course, filled him in on her plan to get revenge on del Rio, and Colt, well, he'd just wanted to see the shit hit the fan up close.

Phil, however, was more than a little concerned about Shar's blurting out her love for Sheamo on live TV, without actually telling the big Irishman first. He had also noticed how absolutely freaked the guy had looked when he'd finally hit the ring, and how meekly Shar had slipped away.

He hoped they could work it out. He knew only too well how Shar felt about the guy, and how hard she had initially fought against falling for him in the first place.

Colt was sitting on Phil's 'lounge space' near the front of the bus, while Phil made coffee, half-watching an old wrestling DVD, when he caught sight of Shar walking across the parking lot, getting closer to where they were.

Honestly, in the time that Phil and Shar had been friends, Colt had grown very fond of her, too. Not in a romantic way-actually, she was more like a sister to him. And he respected the Hell out of her too, because while the likes of Kelly Kelly and the Bella Twins had been brought into WWE based purely on their looks, and had no wrestling ability to speak of, Sharona had started her career in Mexico, working for CMLL, and had been a fully trained worker by the time she arrived in WWE in 2002.

The chick, Colt Cababa had long since decided, was a Grade A _badass_.

Which was why he was shocked to see that, as she approached the bus, she seemed to be crying.

Without saying a word to Phil, he got up and raced to the door and yanked it open...

/

Sharona had grabbed her bag from her locker-room, and wandered out into the parking lot, tears of hurt and disappointment streaming down her face. Thankfully, she met nobody on her way out, because she _really_ didn't feel like talking to anyone right now.

Shay was gone. He had walked out of her life as quickly and unexpectedly as he had walked into it. Because she couldn't keep her big mouth shut. Because she just had to tell the whole _world_ how she felt about him, neglecting to actually tell _him_ first.

She'd scared him away.

The best thing to happen to her in a _very_ long time, and she'd scared him away.

At first, when she saw the familiar gargantuan shape of Phil's bus parked in the lot, she forgot why he was there, and then, with another painful twinge, she remembered.

Phil had come because of her fabulous master plan.

The same fabulous master plan that had backfired so disastrously.

She knew that Colt was with him, had seen him earlier, but she needed Phil right now, needed his advice and support.

Sharona had, of course, contemplated calling Shay, but had quickly decided against it. After the abrupt way he'd left, it was crystal clear that he didn't want to talk to her.

It was Colt who flung the bus door open, his usually happy, mischievous expression creased into one of concern. 'Hey, dollface.' He greeted her-incidentally, if anyone _else_ called Sharona Vincenzi 'dollface', they'd end up with critical injuries, but it was impossible to be mad at Colt. 'What's up?'

And at that, the door opened wider, and Phil appeared at Colt's shoulder, eyes widening in shock to see her in tears. 'What the Hell's going on?' He demanded.

Determinedly, Sharona wiped at her wet eyes as she boarded the bus, but she could already feel another outburst looming. She hated feeling like this, she was supposed to be so tough, so strong, but knowing she'd lost the man she loved was absolutely unbearable.

Moments later, she was seated in Phil's space, where Colt had been sitting, previously, and her best friend set a steaming mug of coffee in front of her.

'Hey, where's mine?' Colt protested, trying to lighten the situation, and got a warning glare from Phil in return.

'Wanna tell me what's got you so upset?' Phil was trying to keep his voice light, but could already feel his anger rising.

Because he had a fairly good idea as to what had upset Shar so much.

'You heard what I said out there, right?' Sharona was trying valiantly not to sniffle, with not much success.

'Damn straight!' Colt responded enthusiastically. 'You had that chump del Rio pissing his _pants_. Almost literally. It was great, and I..' He trailed off at his friends' expressions, and added sheepishly, 'Okay, it's possible you were talking about telling everyone you loved Sheamus.'

'He didn't take it very well, did he?' Phil chimed in, and the pained, vulnerable look Shar gave him tore at his heart.

'He didn't take it at _all_.' She replied quietly. 'He left. Never said a word. Just left.'

Sharona sighed when she saw the anger flood Phil's face. She knew this would piss him off.

'Wait,' he began slowly. 'You're saying you went out there to face up to del Rio, _for Sheamus_, and just because you said you loved him, he decides to take off?!'

His voice rose with every syllable, and Sharona cringed, as Colt said quietly, 'Maybe he doesn't feel that way.'

Phil glared at his old friend, scarcely able to believe how insensitive that remark was-Jesus, even _he_ would be more considerate than that! '_Really_ not helping, Colt.' He snapped, and Sharona held up a hand, already sick of this.

Addressing Colt, she said, amazed that she was able to keep her voice steady, 'I think Shay's made it clear he doesn't feel that way.' And then, to Phil, she added, 'I scared him off. I can't blame him.'

'Oh, yes you _can_.' Phil retorted. She had rarely seen her friend this angry; even Colt took a step back. She knew he acknowledged she was a strong person-normally-but she was a woman, and she knew how Phil Brooks felt about women, knew he felt they were to be respected. And, when it was called for, protected.

'Sure, maybe he _doesn't_ feel the same way, Shar.' He went on, sounding almost reluctant. 'But it's not like you did anything wrong. You said it-you can't _un_say it. But that doesn't give the guy the right to act like a fucking coward and just throw in the towel!'

To Sharona's amazement, she found that Phil saying something even remotely derogatory about Shay caused her own temper to rise.

'He is _not_ a coward!' She shouted, leaping to her feet, catching the look of shock on both Phil and Colt's faces. 'Don't you _get_ it? If I wanted to tell Shay I loved him, I should have done it in _private_, not announced it to del Rio and in front of thousands of people! I acted like an idiot, and now I'm paying for it!'

Slumping down into her seat, she started to cry again, barely registering her two friends surging forward to offer comfort, as she murmured, feeling lost and heartbroken, 'I've lost him. I've really lost him.'...

/

_'I __**do**__ love him_!'

Those four words hadn't stopped echoing through Sheamus' head since he'd left the arena, and even now, sitting alone in his hotel room, his head in his hands, he could still hear them.

_She loved him_.

_Sharona __**loved **__him_.

And he'd run off with his tail between his legs, like a yellow-bellied coward.

Oh God, how was the lass going to react? What was she going to _think_?

_Oh, well, that's easy, ya feckin' eejit_, he thought, furious with himself. _She's going to think yer not interested, that what ye had wasn't serious_.

Not serious? That woman had stepped in the ring and defended him, had stood up to del Rio, without any fear...and she'd done it for _him_.

And how had he repaid her? By running away. From her. From his feelings.

All because a girl had once broken his heart.

What Imelda had done to him wasn't Shar's fault. But the word 'love', to him, meant taking a risk he wasn't sure he was ready for.

The problem was, he loved the lass. Loved her truly, and completely, no matter how fast it had happened.

Reaching out, he picked up the small velvet box, surprised to find tears pricking his eyes. He had already bought Shar her birthday present, and the ring had seemed like a good idea at the time. Now, because of his own ridiculous insecurities, he might never be able to give it to her.

It was laughable, really, considering everything the ring stood for.

But the truth was, he needed space. And so did she.

He just hoped that when the time came to fix this, it wouldn't be too late...

**COMING UP: SummerSlam, and Sharona's birthday. Can Sheamus earn her forgiveness and understanding? Stay tuned, folks! **

**PS-As far as TLC goes, I'm hoping that Shay puts his best foot forward-and right into Show's head! Then hits him with another 31 chair shots! Later! :) Ellen.**


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

**Thanks, as usual, to everyone who reviewed-it means so much! **

**Did everyone see last night's RAW? Shay made a Father Ted reference! **** As an Irish fan, that totally made me mark out! **

**WARNING: Maximum angst alert!**

_'I'll sing it one last time for you, then we really have to go-_

_You've been the only thing that's right in all I've done. _

_And I can barely look at you, but every single time I do, _

_I know we'll make it anywhere, away from here...'_

_**-Snow Patrol, 'Run' **_

_**/**_

**SummerSlam, August 19 **

Sharona really hadn't wanted to come. The last thing she needed was to come face-to-face with her undoubtedly _former_ boyfriend, but Phil had been insistent.

'No _way_ are you gonna sit at home feeling sorry for yourself because of that douche.' He told her sternly. 'You don't have to see him if you don't want to-but if _I_ see him, I'm gonna kick his ass!'

Sharona didn't even have the heart to argue. She didn't have much heart to do _anything_, if she was honest. She hadn't seen or heard from Shay since SmackDown two days ago and her unwitting outburst, and while she had come to realize that she'd lost him, she was finding it so hard to accept.

Losing Kane had never hurt this much. She knew now that what she felt for Shay was _real _love, that the soulmate she'd once believed she'd found in a seven-foot 'freak', was actually a gorgeous red-haired Irishman.

And she had pushed him away.

And she would never forgive herself for it...

/

Sheamus stood alone in his locker-room, World Title resting on one shoulder, the weight of the world, it seemed, resting on the other. He'd barely slept the last two days, and it wasn't through anticipation for his match against del Rio.

He should have called Shar, should have at least _tried_ to explain, but the longer he'd left it, the harder it had become.

God, she must hate him. And how could he blame her?

But if she was here tonight, he was determined to try to work things out with her. If she was prepared to listen.

He'd left it long enough.

He still had over an hour before his match with Bertie, so Sheamus placed his World Heavyweight Championship on a bench, picked up the gift bag he'd left there, and left his locker-room, to see if he could find his girlfriend. As far as he was concerned, she _was_ still his girlfriend.

But someone found _him_ first.

Sheamus was aware of nothing until the hand crashed across his face, and he stumbled back, to find a furious-looking Phil glaring at him.

'Oi!' He snapped. 'What are ya playin' at, fella?!'

'_Playing_?' Phil's voice was positively Arctic. 'That's funny-I figured you were the one _playing_..._fella_.'

Sheamus sighed. He knew why Phil was so angry, and he understood completely- but that didn't give him the right to hit him!

'I know Shar's yer friend, lad.' He replied. 'And I know I'd react the same if 'twas the other way around, which is why I'll grant ya that one shot. But hit me again, and there'll be a problem. Ya get me?'

Phil didn't seem to be in the mood to listen to reason. 'Oh, there's already a _problem_.' He sneered. 'Do you have any idea how much you hurt her, you fucking idiot? You broke her _heart_. She said she loved you, and you ran away. Okay, you don't feel the same, but at least have the decency to _tell _her that!'

Sheamus' heart sank at Phil's words. The last thing he had ever wanted to do was break the lass' heart. Or hurt her in any way.

He _needed_ to make this right.

'I love her.' He admitted quietly, and Phil frowned at him, looking suspicious.

'I _do_.' He insisted. 'I just...I got scared, fella. And if you'll tell where she is, I'll tell her that.' He held up the pink gift bag still clutched in his hand, and smiled wryly. 'Why d'you think I'm cartin' this around with me? It's not exactly my style.'

'Her birthday's _tomorrow_.' Phil said shortly, obviously still not willing to forgive him, and Sheamus sighed.

This wasn't going to be as easy as he'd hoped.

'I know.' He told him. 'But what I got her...I need her to see it now. I want to try an' make her understand how I feel.'

Phil's expression softened marginally, and he pointed down the corridor. 'She's in my locker-room.' He replied, and as Sheamus thanked him and tried to pass, Phil grabbed his arm.

'Don't hurt her again.' He warned. 'Because if you do, you'll have more than a shot to the face to worry about.'

Sheamus would have laughed, but he knew Phil was deadly serious, so instead, he nodded solemnly, then extended his hand.

'I won't hurt her again, lad.' He promised. 'Ya have me word on that. All I want now is for her to forgive me.'

Phil shook his hand, finally smiling. 'I think she will.' He replied. 'Think all _she_ wants is for you to man up, and be honest. Just do that and you'll be fine.'

The guy had certainly given Sheamus food for thought with his parting words, the Irishman acknowledged. Sharona deserved honesty; more than that, she deserved his heart.

_All_ of it...

/

Sharona looked up tearfully when she heard the knock on the door. Layla had just left, and while her friend had tried to offer comfort, Sharona had just ended up crying again. And no amount of tears was going to help her now.

Layla was facing Eve for the Women's Championship tonight, a match that Sharona herself should be involved in. But through all the drama with Shay, she'd taken her eye off the prize.

And it was troubling, how little that actually troubled her now.

Fetching a sigh, she walked over to open the door, trying to tell herself to forget about Sheamus. It was over.

It was _over_, and there was nothing she could do about it.

But when she saw who was standing there, all that went out the window.

Shay was standing in front of her, a gentle smile on his face, carrying a small pink sparkly bag, which looked ludicrous clasped in the hand of the fiery-haired Celt.

She almost rushed into his arms, but then reminded herself that he had _left_ her. So let _him_ run to _her_.

She smiled coolly. 'Hi.' She murmured, and he came forward, fidgeting nervously. In jeans and his 'Brogue Kick Hooligans' shirt, along with the soft cap that had more or less become his trademark, he looked casual and mouth-wateringly gorgeous at the same time.

Playing it cool had never been so tough.

Sheamus could practically feel a barrier going up between them, and he knew he needed to act quickly.

'Can I come in, lass?' He asked. 'I need to talk to ya.'

At first, Sharona considered refusing him; the last thing she wanted to hear was Shay telling her he didn't love her. After all, he'd made it perfectly clear already.

But he looked so earnest that she found herself opening the door wider to permit him entry, almost without realizing she was doing it.

'You really don't need to explain.' She said hurriedly, as soon as Shay stepped inside and shut the door. The look he gave her was serious, but also tender and sad.

'Oh, I _do_, love.' He retorted. 'Believe me, I do.'

As he gestured for her to sit down, Sharona decided enough was enough. He was trying to be nice about this, but she really didn't want to hear something she already knew.

'Look, I'm sorry, okay?' She burst out. 'I'm sorry I said anything, but del Rio was pissing me off!'

'Ya didn't mean it?' Sheamus felt her slipping through his fingers like water. What if she _hadn't_ meant it? What if she regretted it? What if-?

'I never say anything I don't mean.' Shar seemed to be on the verge of tears, and Sheamus' heart ached. But as he reached for her, she backed away and started to pace furiously.

'Look, you don't have to say anything, ok?' Sharona was desperate to cut this off at the pass, before Shay could tell her what she dreaded, and she completely lost her shit. 'I mean, I _get_ it. I do. I don't expect anything, Shay. I know you don't...'

To her horror, Sharona couldn't finish; her airways seemed to block up completely, and salt water burned her eyes.

Oh, no. Not _now_. Not in _front_ of him.

As soon as the first tear slipped down her cheek, Sheamus rushed forward, and she was in his arms before she could wipe it away.

He hadn't thought it was possible to feel worse than he already did-but she'd just proven him wrong.

'Oh, no, love.' He whispered, cradling her against his chest, stroking her hair. He could feel her tears soaking his t-shirt, and actually felt himself welling up at the knowledge that he had caused her pain.

And all because of a woman who was nothing like this amazing girl who had offered him her heart, despite the hurt she had herself suffered at the hands of another man.

Imelda wasn't worth a _quarter_ of the worth of this woman.

In more ways than one.

And oh, _now_ the tears were sure to come. He had spent years blocking out the traumatic aftermath of his ex's affair, when she had...

Taking a deep breath, he added, 'Don't cry. There's so much I need to tell ya. So much I need to explain. If you'll let me.'

There was a pleading in Shay's voice that Sharona couldn't ignore, and when she looked up at him, she was astonished to see tears in his eyes. She nodded, and finally sat down, gesturing for him to do the same.

He seemed to be having difficulty speaking for a moment, but then he cleared his throat and began, his voice soft and slightly croaky, 'I shouldn't have run away, darlin'. It made it look like I don't care, and that's not true. It's just...when ya said it, said ya loved me...I got scared, I s'pose. I acted like a prize eejit, basically.'

Sheamus wasn't sure how he was going to say this, but he knew she deserved to hear the whole truth.

After what he'd done, it was the _least_ she deserved.

'When I was still living in Ireland,' he had to clear his throat again before he could go on-he had a feeling he'd be crying himself by the end of this. 'I was goin' out with a girl for a long time. I was mad about her, thought we'd always be together, I s'pose. Didn't work out like that, though.'

He glanced up to see that Shar was obviously rapt. Knowing he had her full attention, he continued, 'Anyway, it was her birthday, and I'd decided to...well, ask her to marry me. Only, I don't think she was expectin' me. See, when I got to our place...well, let's just say she wasn't alone.'

Sheamus' hands clenched involuntarily at the memory of the woman he'd believed was the love of his life, in their living-room, practically naked with another man. Initially, she'd actually had the gall to tell him it wasn't what he thought!

God, he'd completely lost his temper, flung her lover out on his arse, and stood there screaming at her, demanding to know _why_.

And Imelda had just stood there and...

'She laughed at me. ' His voice was getting more hoarse by the minute, and Sharona could feel tears in her eyes all over again. She couldn't believe anyone could be so cruel.

'She said I wasn't...' Sheamus had to swallow a lump in his throat; this was proving to be harder than he'd thought. 'She said I wasn't able to satisfy her, that I wasn't man enough...'

Sharona let the tears fall as she watched Shay's face twitch; he was obviously fighting tears as well. Reaching across, she took his hand in both of hers, and raised it to her lips.

'She was an idiot.' She said softly. 'Anyone who could treat you like that and just let you go is an idiot. But you don't need to go on, sweetie-I can see this is hard for...'

'No.' Shay cut in. 'There's more, love. You need to hear it all. You deserve that.'

He wiped at his moistening eyes, and after a pause, he went on, 'A couple of weeks after she left...I found out she was pregnant. All I could think was...it could be _mine_, y'know? And even after what she did, I was excited. I mean, if the baby _was_ mine, I wanted to be involved.'

'_Was_ it yours?' Sharona didn't mean to interrupt, but she was curious. Was Shay going to tell her he had a kid? If so, she could deal with that.

But as her eyes met his, and she saw the desolate look in their pale blue depths, she realized with a sinking heart exactly what he was going to tell her.

'I dunno.' Sheamus stared down at his hands, everything suddenly a watery blur. He could feel the tears coming, and wasn't sure he wanted to stop them. 'She got rid of it before I could find out.'

He'd tried to block out the agony he'd felt for all this time, had never told anyone, not even his family. He'd known there was a chance it wasn't his, but thinking it _could_ have been, that he _could_ have been a dad, had filled him with rage and grief he'd never imagined possible.

He'd wanted to kill Imelda, he'd wanted to rip her apart. Instead, what had happened accelerated his decision to pack his bags and come to America, to get a job in WWE, no matter what, vowing to never fall in love again.

And he hadn't. Until now.

Weeping openly, her heart full to bursting with sympathy for Shay and all he had suffered, Sharona brushed her fingers over his hair, and her simple action seemed to break a dam somewhere inside him. With a muffled sob, he lurched forward, and she threw her arms around him, holding his head to her chest.

She never thought she'd see this big tough Irishman cry, but all things considered, it was hardly surprising. The poor guy had lost what could possibly have been his son or daughter.

'Babe, I'm so sorry.' She murmured. 'That bitch didn't deserve you. And she didn't deserve that baby, either.'

As Shay started to pull away, hands wiping at his face, she added tenderly, 'I love you, Shay. And I swear, I'd never treat you like that. 'Cause that's what you're afraid of, isn't it?'

Before he could respond, she cradled his tear-stained face in her hands, and said quietly, but emphatically, 'I know what I've got. And I'd never do anything to jeopardize that. I was so scared that you didn't feel the same, so scared that I'd lost you. But if you do love me, you don't have to be afraid to. Because I will _never,_ ever hurt you.'

Sheamus stared up into Shar's face, still wiping at his eyes, feeling like a bit of an eejit. He hadn't mourned for the baby in a long time, but maybe he'd needed to get that out. He shouldn't feel ashamed to cry, he knew-after all, it _might_ have been his child. And Shar certainly didn't look ashamed of him. All he could see in her face was sympathy.

And _love_.

He had to trust her, had to trust that she'd do right by him. Though he didn't have much of a choice in the matter-he couldn't let her go. He loved her too much.

_'Tà cion agam ort_.' He whispered, pressing his lips to her forehead. _'Tà an-chion agam ort, a stòr_.'

Sharona giggled a little, confused. 'I don't know what that means.' She told him, and his expression changed to one full of so much emotion that it almost brought her to tears again.

'Yeah, you do.' He said gently, and then she realized _exactly_ what it meant.

He loved her.

Shay _loved_ her.

She launched herself into his arms, kissing him everywhere her lips could reach. Laughing himself, Sheamus extricated himself from her embrace, then handed her the gift bag.

Shar arched an eyebrow at him. 'You know my birthday's not until tomorrow, right?' She said.

'I know.' Sheamus replied, nervous now. 'But ya can have yer present early, love.' When she hesitated, he added, 'Go on. Ya can open it.'

With a smile, she reached into the bag, taking out the card first.

It simply had _'For My Girlfriend_' written on the front, without any hearts or sappy motif, to her satisfaction. That kind of stuff wasn't her bag, and she felt sure that Shay wasn't the overly romantic type, either.

Inside, the card read:

_'To the most beautiful girl in all the land. _

_Have an amazing day. _

_All my love, Sheamus xxxx _

The words were simple, but brought a lump to her throat. They were sincere, and typical of this man that she loved.

'It's beautiful, babe, thank you.' She said, and Shay pointed to the bag.

'There's more, y'know.' He grinned, and she dipped her hand in again, taking out a small red velvet box.

With hands that were now trembling, she opened it. And her hand flew to her mouth in shock.

Inside, was a silver Claddagh ring, the heart at its center inset with a single emerald.

Sharona wasn't very familiar with Irish jewellery or their meaning, but as far as she knew, a Claddagh ring was the equivalent of an eternity ring.

'I might have to get it resized.' Shay was saying. He looked uncertain now. 'O' course, if ya don't like it, I can get ya somethin' else. It's grand, really.'

'I love it.' And this wasn't a lie. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. And if the sentiment behind it was what she believed it was, it meant even more.

She tried it on all of her fingers, and it fit onto her 'wedding' finger as if it had been made especially, so she switched it onto the same finger of her right hand.

'D'you know what it means?'

Shar seemed to genuinely love it, to his pleasure and relief. He'd been afraid she'd just look at it blankly and wonder what the Hell it was all about. Hence his question.

'I'm not sure.' She replied. 'I mean...it's like an eternity ring, right'

Sheamus smiled, and pointing to the ring, he told her, ' _'Grà, dìlseacht agus chairdeas'_. It means, '_Love, loyalty and friendship_.' That's what the heart, crown and hands mean.'

With a grin, he slipped it off her finger, turned it upside-down and put it back on, adding, 'There. That's how ya wear it, lass. With the heart pointing to yer own. It means yer spoken for. It means...me heart is yours.'

As he blushed, Sharona felt the sting of tears for the umpteenth time. That was, without a doubt, the most profound thing anyone had ever said to her.

She put her hands around Shay's waist, tilting her face up to his, so he could kiss her. 'And I'll cherish them both.' She told him tenderly. 'The ring _and_ your heart. Always.'

Sheamus gazed down at her, unable to stop smiling now. It would be different this time around. It _had_ to be.

_This_ was the love of his life.

Kissing her once more, he said, 'I have to get ready to kick Bertie's arse, darlin'. I'll meet ya back here after, yeah?'

She nodded eagerly. Suddenly, she wanted desperately to take this gorgeous man to bed and _show_ him how much he meant to her.

But she could wait. After all, he had a Mexican asshole to beat the crap out of, a World Title to defend.

'Go.' She told him. 'I'll be waiting.'

It was only when he'd left, that she let out an ecstatic shriek, jumping around Phil's locker-room like a hyperactive teenager.

He'd come back to her.

He'd _finally_ come back to her...

_**Coming up: A World Title match, an argument, and some smut. 'Cause I can. :) Was gonna finish on this chapter, but I kind of don't want to. As usual, please R&R! :) Ellen.**_


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

_**FILLER ALERT**__: Not much happening in this chapter. _

_Re: TLC (__**SPOILER **__for whoever hasn't seen it)-I don't want to talk about it. I will just say that I __**hate**__ The Big Show and his stupid giant chair, and our boy Shay should hold his head high because he put up a hell of a fight (as I told him on twitter). _

_Also, I'm not very good at writing wrestling action (and to think I wanted to be a colour commentator!), so apologies in advance. Rewriting storylines here for my own use by the way... _

_Thank you all, as usual, for the reviews-you push me forward with my writing. And trust me, I need a lot of pushing sometimes. _

Sheamus, now clad in his wrestling gear, took a final glance at his grinning reflection, then hoisted the World Heavyweight Championship onto his shoulder.

Right now, he felt like he could go out there and take on every single wrestler in the locker-room, never mind just Bertie.

He'd got his girl back.

And he was _never_ letting her go again.

He had come so close to losing Shar forever, and now that he knew how much she truly meant to him, he wouldn't be that stupid again.

The lass wore his ring now-which meant he was in this for the long haul, ready at last to leave the past where it belonged.

And then, just as he was thinking that, he heard his girlfriend's voice, raised in anger, just outside his locker-room door:

'This is bullshit, AJ! And you know it!'

Throwing open the door, he saw Shar standing a few feet away, with the petite RAW General Manager, AJ Lee. AJ looked more than a little nervous, and Sheamus couldn't say he blamed her.

Sharona had an infamously ferocious temper.

But why was she so angry?

'Shar, there's nothing I can do.' AJ was protesting. 'Layla can't compete, it's as simple as that.'

'What's goin' on, love?' Curiosity getting the better of him, he approached his girlfriend, whose expression softened just slightly when she saw him. AJ, however, still looked apprehensive.

'Somebody attacked Layla.' Shar replied grimly. 'Her ankle's hurt-she won't be able to face Eve tonight.'

Sharona was honestly struggling to keep her temper in check. Layla had become a good friend, and she knew how much this title match meant to her. It angered her no end that she'd been assaulted beforehand.

Especially since she just _knew_ that bitch Eve was somehow behind it.

'Who attacked her?' Sheamus asked, and both Sharona and AJ shrugged.

'She was attacked from behind.' It was AJ who replied. 'She didn't get a good look at whoever it was. Anyway, that's it-I'll have to cancel the match.'

As AJ started to walk away, Sheamus called after her, 'Hang on there, AJ-why d'ya have to cancel the match?'

'Because Layla's injured.' AJ replied. 'There can't be a Women's Championship match without a challenger.'

Sheamus jerked a thumb in his girlfriend's direction, grinning widely. He'd just had the _best_ idea.

'Ya have yerself a challenger right here, AJ.' He told her. 'Put Shar in the match.'

'Whoa, whoa, _whoa_.' To his surprise, rather than excited, Shar looked annoyed. 'There is no _way _that's happening. Layla...she's a friend. I'm not taking her shot from her just because she got injured.'

However, AJ seemed to be warming to the idea, to her dismay. There was no way she could replace Layla in the match-it would feel too much like she was betraying her friend.

'Shar, Layla _can't_ compete.' The RAW GM told her. 'This is an opportunity for you to regain the championship-_and_ put Eve in her place. You and I both know that she had something to do with what happened to Layla-even if I can't prove it right now. And if she doesn't wanna face Layla, she definitely won't wanna face _you_.'

Sharona looked up into the grinning face of her boyfriend as he said, 'See, now _that _makes sense, love. Sure, Layla will understand-if she can't wrestle...'

'I need to talk to her.' Sharona said determinedly. She wasn't just going to go out there and fight Eve without at least talking it through with Layla first.

There was a time when she would have been ruthless in a situation like this, when the championship would have been all that mattered.

But after ten years in WWE, she had matured. She was secure in her own success, and had nothing to prove to anyone.

That being said, however, she hadn't held the Women's Title in two years-this could be an opportunity to be Women's Champion for the _seventh_ time, the same amount of times as Trish Stratus.

She'd be lying if she said that wasn't a tempting incentive...

/

Sharona found Layla in the trainer's room, where she was getting her ankle taped. She wasn't surprised that the British Diva looked extremely angry.

'Heard the good news, eh?' She snapped. 'Bloody brilliant, isn't it?'

'Layla, I'm so sorry.' And Sharona meant it. 'I just know Eve was behind this-it's got 'skanky ho' stamped all over it. I'd like to stamp all over _her_...'

'Then you should go do that. Right now.' Layla surprised her with her words-astonished her, really.

She'd expected Layla to be upset with what had been proposed to her-the last thing she'd expected was for her to suggest it herself.

Sharona's surprise must have shown on her face-Layla added, 'C'mon, darling, _I_ can't wrestle her. And everybody knows she's scared of you. If I can't do it, it'll give me great pleasure to watch you beat her-or, as that Irishman you love so much might say, kick her _arse_.'

Sharona couldn't help but grin at that, and she told her, 'We're back together, me and Shay.'

Layla's face lit up with genuine happiness and she hugged her. 'I _knew_ it'd work out!' She exclaimed. 'You two are so in love, it's sickening.' Then she caught sight of the ring, and asked, more seriously, 'Is that what I think it is?'

Sharona nodded eagerly. 'It's a Claddagh.' She replied. 'Irish eternity ring, or as good as. It's forever, Layla. I really believe it is. He's _it_ for me.'

Layla grinned. 'I couldn't be happier, darling, really.' She enthused, then added, getting back to the topic at hand, 'I mean it, Shar. You should wrestle Eve.'

'Are you sure?' She asked. 'I don't wanna go behind your back or anything.'

'Oh, love, you're _not_.' Layla retorted. 'You're here talking to me to my face. I'll get another shot-but right now, you need to go out there and win that title. You'd be doing me a favour after what's happened.'

Instinctively, Sharona hugged her friend. 'In that case,' she told her. 'I'd better get out there.'...

/

Eve was standing in the middle of the ring, the Women's Title draped on her shoulder. As the fans showered her with boos, she began to speak:

'I was _so_ shocked to hear what happened to Layla-I was looking forward to our match tonight. Of course, I'd have _beaten_ her, that goes without saying. But now, since she's been injured, I guess there won't be a Women's Title match at SummerSlam tonight. I know my fans will be _so_ disappointed, but...'

The fans cheered as _'Let's Light It Up'_ began to play, and AJ appeared on the entrance ramp.

'I hate to interrupt your little speech, Eve,' she began. 'Which, by the way, actually _almost_ sounded sincere. But, you see, there _is_ going to be a Women's Championship match tonight-I've found someone only _too_ happy to face you.'

As Eve began to throw a tantrum, there was a dramatic pause, and then:

'_You think you know me, know what I do, _

_But all you think about, is what it all means to you..._'

The crowd went _nuts_, and Eve went from pitching a hissy fit to screaming in terror, as Sharona appeared. She was dressed in her wrestling gear, a black satin one -piece outfit with '_Most Dangerous Diva_' written on the back in sequins.

She grinned as Eve shrieked denials and cowered in the corner, and the crowd continued to cheer, some even singing along to her catchy theme song:

'_I've got so much, so much to give; _

_All you gotta do is be ready, ready to live. _

_You think you know a lot about my kinda woman, _

_But you don't know nothing 'bout me! _

_You don't know me, _

_You don't know me, _

_You don't know anything about me..._'

'You can't _do_ this!' Eve was still screaming at a grinning AJ, as Sharona climbed in the ring. 'I'm not prepared! I'm...'

She abruptly stopped talking when Sharona backed her into the corner.

'Sweetie,' she said calmly. 'You couldn't be prepared for me if you _tried_.'

The bell rang, and without further ado, Sharona grabbed Eve by the hair and snapmared her out of the corner and onto the mat, giving her a swift kick across the shoulder blade for good measure.

Sharona had once dismissed Eve as nothing more than talentless eye candy, like Kelly Kelly, but the current champ had actually trained hard and had come on in leaps and bounds as a wrestler. Sharona knew this wouldn't be a cakewalk.

And it wasn't-despite her gaining the initial advantage, Eve quickly retaliated by shooting Sharona into the ropes and hitting her with a snap suplex, then locked in a chinlock, as the fans tried to urge on the challenger with chants of '_Shar-on-a_!' and '_Let's go Shar_!'

As always happened, the fans gave Sharona the strength she needed to continue-she climbed to her feet and used her superior upper body strength to knock Eve silly with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Eve shrieked in pain and tried to crawl away, only for Sharona to drag her into the corner and start battering her with chops, and Eve shoved her away, finally.

Things went back and forth for several minutes, until the action spilled out of the ring and onto the floor, and Eve Irish-whipped Sharona into the steel steps. Her body bounced off the unforgiving metal and she cried out in agony, as the fans showed their disapproval by booing loudly.

Eve, obviously believing she had this in the bag, threw her arms up and struck a pose, as Sharona valiantly tried to get to her feet. Her whole body hurt like Hell, but there was no way she was quitting.

The word '_quit_' didn't exist in her vocabulary.

Eve was just about to kick her when she seemed to realize the ref had started counting both of them out, and with a sly smile, she climbed nonchalantly into the ring…

Unknown to Sharona, Sheamus and Phil were watching anxiously on the monitor backstage, shouting encouragement.

'Come on, Shar!' Phil cried. 'Kick her ass!'

'Get up, darlin'!' Sheamus was shouting. 'C'mon, ya can do it!'

The two men looked at each other and exchanged nervous smiles-she meant so much to both of them, in completely different ways.

But what they both shared was an unwavering belief in her abilities…

Somehow, Sharona finally got to her feet and rolled into the ring, just beating the ref's ten-count, as Eve scowled in frustration.

Even though she was in pain, Sharona kept fighting back, punching and kicking at Eve, then out of the blue, planted the champion with a ferocious DDT. She then turned and grinned at the crowd, and they began to cheer, as if in anticipation of what was to come.

After first making sure that Eve wasn't going anywhere, she climbed to the top rope, then, cupping her hands to her mouth, screamed '_Hello_!' at the thousands in attendance, who returned the greeting in kind. Quickly, she crossed herself, then murmured, 'Time to fly.'

Twisting her body, she hit a graceful three-hundred-and-sixty-degree moonsault, landing on Eve with an emphatic _thud_.

'_One, two, three_!'

Dimly, through the raucous cheering of the crowd, Sharona heard Lillian Garcia's voice, as she slowly stood and the ref handed her the championship and raised her hand:

'_The winner of this match...and the __**new**__ WWE Women's Champion...Sharona_!'

Sharona stared at the title belt clasped in her hands, grinning widely. Her seventh Women's Championship. Her _seventh_. She couldn't be more proud, or honoured.

As the ref tended to Eve, Sharona headed backstage, and as soon as she got past Gorilla, a familiar pair of strong, pale arms wrapped around her, pulling her close. She returned Shay's embrace gladly, and his kiss, when he tilted her face up to his.

'I'm proud of ya, darlin'.' He murmured against her lips. 'I knew ya could do it. Are ya alright? You took some slap off those steps.'

As she nodded, a voice groaned sarcastically, 'Jeez, get a _room_, you two.'

Phil came sauntering up to them, a sardonic grin on his face, and the couple broke apart. As soon as Sheamus stepped back, the Straight Edge superstar yanked Sharona into his own arms.

'Way to go, babe.' He told her. 'That moonsault was a work of art.'

'It always _is_.' Sharona replied with mock arrogance, even as Sheamus butted in jokingly, 'Oi! Stop callin' me girlfriend '_babe_', fella!'

Phil rolled his eyes at the Irishman. 'Holy crap, Shar, think you got a jealous one here.' He quipped.

As the three of them laughed, Sheamus said, 'Well, it's my turn now. Will ye excuse me while I go kick Bertie's arse? It shouldn't take too long.'

Sheamus wasn't being serious, though-while he didn't like del Rio personally, he acknowledged that the man was a talented wrestler. He knew he'd put up a fight.

But that was fine with him-after all, he _loved_ a good fight...

_Coming up: Sheamus retains the WHC (well, we all __**know**__ he did, lol!) and there are harsh words between friends when Sharona learns about Phil's earlier confrontation with Shay. And before you ask if Layla didn't want to congratulate Shar too, she'll pop up next chapter. And oh yes, Shay and Shar get 'romantic', lol. Please R&R! Ellen._


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

**Thanks for all the reviews! : )**

**I've decided to edit this, and end things here-there will be as possible sequel somewhere down the line, but right now, I'm going to be on hiatus indefinitely.**

**Stay safe, everyone. 3**

'_It's you and me, and all of the people,_

_With nothing to do, and nothing to prove._

_And it's you and me, and all of the people,_

_And I don't know why I can't keep my eyes off of you,_

_There's something about you now, I can't quite figure out._

_Everything she does is beautiful, and everything she does is right…'_

_-__**Lifehouse, 'You And Me'**_

/

Sheamus came through the curtain, body glistening with sweat, the World Heavyweight Championship still resting on his shoulder.

Bertie had put up a hell of a fight, but to no avail. A Brogue Kick to the mush, and the fella had been out for the count.

Still, he had to respect the Mexican wrestler's abilities. The match hadn't been a walk in the park by any means.

But it hadn't been enough-he was still the Champion.

And then, Sharona came rushing up, flinging her arms around him, and the Irishman chuckled at her enthusiasm.

'I'm sweatin' like a pig, darlin'.' He told her. 'Ya shouldn't be huggin' me in this state.'

'I don't care.' His girlfriend's words were slightly muffled against his broad chest. 'You were amazing out there, babe.'

Layla came strolling up, a smile on her face. She'd already congratulated Sharona on her victory against Eve, much to the new Women's Champion's relief. Sharona had honestly been worried about taking the title shot that should rightfully have been her friend's, despite Layla's insistence that she do it.

But all was cool between them, thankfully.

'Congrats, Sheamus.' The British Diva grinned. 'That was impressive.'

'Thanks, lass.' Sheamus replied. 'Much appreciated.'

Then, as Layla left, his eyes locked with Sharona's, and, smiling, their faces drew closer, and closer...

And the moment their lips touched, they were interrupted.

'Man, these public displays of affection are _gross_. ' Phil's voice was laced with its usual sarcasm as he walked over to them. 'Seriously, big guy, if you don't stop slobbering all over Shar, I'll have to hit you again!'

There was a deathly silence, and then Sharona turned slowly to face her best friend, not seeing the grimace that crossed her boyfriend's face.

'_Again_?' She repeated, voice deceptively quiet. 'What do you mean, again?'

'It was nothing, lass.' Shay was obviously trying to defuse the situation, but Sharona wasn't going to be put off so easily.

'I was talking to Phil.' She said, her voice rising slightly in volume. Phil, for his part, now looked distinctly uncomfortable.

'Sheamus had hurt you, Shar.' He said finally, firmly. 'So, yeah, I hit him. I was just trying to-'

'If you say you were just trying to protect me,' she all but growled. 'So help me, I'll hit _you_. You had no _right_ to hit him, it wasn't your fight, dammit!'

Phil seemed to be getting angry now, too. 'So what, a friend of mine gets hurt and I can't do anything about it?' He exclaimed. 'Jesus, Shar...'

'Darlin'.' Sharona turned unwillingly when Shay touched her shoulder. His clear blue eyes were full of warmth and forgiveness. 'He was only lookin' out fer ya. If 'twas the other way around, I'd have done the same. Besides, he didn't even hit me that hard. And I deserved it, after what I did.'

Sharona made a face, then turned to glare at Phil, her lips twitching helplessly when she saw he was grinning.

_Damn_ him-she could never stay mad at him for long.

'You touch him again, and you and I are gonna fight for real.' Sharona pointed a finger at him as she spoke, the tone of her voice emphatic, leaving no room for argument. 'I mean it, Phil.'

Phil didn't reply to her directly, but grinned at Shay. 'She's stubborn as Hell, this one.' He said. 'You sure you wanna stick around?'

Sharona was about to interrupt, when her boyfriend replied, voice soft, but brimming with conviction, 'I'm goin' nowhere, fella. She's stuck with me.'

And she was spinning back around to look at him, to look into a face that regarded her with so much love, she thought her heart might burst from the force of it.

_God_, she loved him, too. _So_ much.

'Ugh.' Phil groaned. 'I sense another ton of sappy coming up. I'd better haul ass before you lovebirds start drooling over each other. Besides, I got a giant and a boy scout's collective asses to kick.'

All hostilities now forgotten, thanks to Shay's gift for diplomacy, Sharona faced her best friend, smiling.

'Modest as always.' She quipped, and, with a shrug, Phil lifted his WWE Championship aloft and proclaimed, 'Best In The World, honey. Catch you guys after the show, or are you gonna go _celebrate_?'

The word was dripping with double meaning, and Sheamus felt himself blushing. It didn't help that '_celebrating' _with Shar was exactly what was on his mind right now. But he knew she'd want to stay to watch Phil's match.

Sure enough, Shar, who now looked flustered as well, said, 'I wanna stick around for said collective ass kicking.' She glanced up at him, uncharacteristic uncertainty in her expression, which Sheamus found exquisitely adorable. 'If that's ok with you, babe.'

'Sure, I was lookin' forward to the match meself, love.' He smiled, then addressed Phil: 'Don't s'pose ya need me wishin' ya luck, lad. Hope it goes in yer favour out there.'

'Thanks, man.' Phil replied, and then he was gone, leaving a shout of _'It's clobberin' time_!' in his wake.

Rolling her eyes, Shar wrapped her arms around Sheamus' waist, and he dipped his head to kiss her hair.

'I have the most egotistical best friend in the world, _ever_.' She complained, and Sheamus chuckled. 'Ah, ya could do worse, love.' He retorted gently. 'A _lot_ worse at that.'...

/

Sharona knew Phil would win. Maybe she was biased, and she liked and respected one of his opponents, John Cena, but to her, his 'Best In The World' claim was not arrogant, but fact. He really _was_ the best wrestler in the world.

Nextto her gorgeous Irish boyfriend, of course.

Once she and Shay had offered their congratulations to Phil on his hard-fought victory, they gathered their stuff-including their respective championship belts-and headed back to their hotel room.

Shay looked pretty tired, and so did she, but there was still some leftover adrenaline spiking through her system, and she had several ideas as to how to work it _out_ of her system.

Her boyfriend turned and locked the door, then turned slowly to face her, his expression tender.

'C'mere, love.' He beckoned her, and she went willingly into his embrace, sighing as his strong arms wrapped around her, and she leaned up to meet his lips.

The kiss started out gently, but quickly became more passionate. Sheamus was suddenly hungry for her, for this beautiful woman who was, incredibly, his to touch and taste.

His tongue found its way inside her mouth, and then he was groaning, loudly, helplessly, as Sharona began to suck on it, her hands travelling up his back under his sweater and t-shirt, fingers exploring his skin.

He tore away from her, already half-hard, panting.

'Yer drivin' me mad.' He growled at her. 'D'ya know that?'

All feelings of tiredness had now completely disappeared from Sharona's thoughts and body. Shay's face was a picture of pure desire, eyes wide, pupils dilated, face bright red, swollen lips parted.

Wordlessly-for there were no words needed-she tugged off Shay's sweater, and then, with a single tug, he removed his t-shirt, and it joined his aforementioned sweater in a crumpled heap in the corner of the room .

She eyed his beautiful, chiseled, pale torso, feeling desire lick its way through her own body, and then her mouth was on his body, pressing hot open-mouthed kisses against his chest, her tongue toying with his nipples.

Before she even realized what was happening, a pair of strong hands cupped her backside and lifted her, and then she was flat on her back on the bed, a trembling, flame-haired Irishman looming over her.

He growled deep in his chest, and suddenly, they were practically attacking each other, hands exploring, lips meeting, tongues playing. Clothes went flying in different directions, until, finally, they were both naked.

The physicality they had experienced earlier in the ring, seemed to have fired up their blood, Sheamus mused dimly, as he gazed down at the beautiful milky coffee-skinned goddess-who, not so long ago, he'd been convinced was _entirely_ out of his league-pinned beneath him, her dark eyes full of passion.

He quickly rolled onto his back to get a condom from his bag, and tore it open, slipping it on to his engorged manhood, and then he gasped as Shar suddenly and unexpectedly mounted him, her hips gripping his.

Sharona bent to kiss him briefly, looking into his blue eyes, suffused with desire, but also absolute trust, and she felt his body tighten, another gasp escaping him, as she eased herself onto his erection, crying out as her body slid down the full length of him, essentially impaling herself.

As soon as they were joined, Sheamus bucked upwards, the sensation of her moist walls engulfing him completely almost overwhelming. Gritting his teeth, trying to remind himself that they hadn't even started yet, he forced himself to slow down, rocking gently against her.

But the heat and the passion were too much. Only seconds had passed before he was sitting up, pale hands squeezing Shar's hips, pumping into her, while she clung to him, moaning for him, nails clawing at his back.

He was close. _Too_ close.

'I love ya.' The words were out before he could stop them-not that he _wanted_ to. 'I love ya so much. Oh, darlin'...'

He froze, groaning, as he felt the first spasm of her pleasure, and he held her close to him as she screamed his name, her body shuddering, her head thrown back.

Sheamus kept going for as long as he could, riding out Shar's orgasm, and then, he felt the telltale tightening in his erection, and he buried his face in the soft skin of her neck, his own cries of release muffled as he climaxed, long and hard.

There was no sound for several moments, except the deep inhalations of two people trying desperately to catch their breath. Sharona was flung across Shay's body, unable to move or speak.

That had been _so_ hot.

Then, finally, Shay lifted a shaking hand to run his fingers through her hair. 'You'll be the death of me yet, lass.' He gasped. 'I can't feel me bleedin' legs.'

That got her attention. Dazedly, she raised her head to appraise her boyfriend. His body was flushed and sweating, eyes hazy, red hair tousled.

He looked as absolutely wrecked as she felt.

'Was it worth it?' She teased, and he grinned tiredly. When he smiled like that, it hurt her heart, because he looked too gorgeous for words.

'What do ya _think_?' He replied 'That was...jaysus, darlin', that was as close to heaven as I think I'll ever get.'

Sheamus' gaze grew more serious as he regarded the gorgeous woman still lying on top of him. This was all he ever wanted.

Her, next to him, loving him.

The two of them against the world.

As he gathered her into his arms, he murmured, 'I think yer goin' ta have ta meet me family soon, darlin'. I don't intend to let ya go anytime soon.'

'I should hope not.' Sharona responded sleepily. 'I'm looking forward to it, babe. I love….'

And just like that, she was fast asleep.

Sheamus grinned, as he gazed down at her sleeping form. Imelda was nothing more than a bad memory, the baby…well, he'd never know the truth, there, but he supposed he would always feel a sadness for that pointless loss.

But this lass, this beautiful, strong, determined lass, had captured his heart, his soul, every single part of him.

He would never, _ever_ let her slip through his fingers again.

He knew his family would love her-his ma had already been on the phone to him several times, wondering when they were all going to meet this new girl in his life.

Soon, he vowed. _Very_ soon.

'I love ya too, darlin'.' He whispered, even though he knew she was in dreamland now and didn't hear a word. 'I always will. _Always_. I promise ya that.'

And if nothing else, Sheamus O' Shaunessy was a man of his word…

**THE END**


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